Doha, February 10 (QNA) - Chairman of the Referees Committee of the Qatar Football Association and Vice Chairman of the FIFA Referees Committee Hani Taleb Ballan inaugurated this evening the FIFA Seminar for Elite Women Referees, with the participation of women referees from the Asian, African, and Oceanian confederations. The seminar is being hosted in Doha from Feb. 9 to 13, 2026.

The opening ceremony was attended virtually by Italian Chairman of the FIFA Referees Committee Pierluigi Collina, along with FIFA refereeing officials. A total of 16 women referees are taking part in the seminar, including seven from Asia, eight from Africa, and one from Oceania.

In his opening remarks, Ballan welcomed the participants to the FIFA seminar, expressing his pleasure at Doha hosting this important refereeing event. He affirmed that the selected group of elite women referees reflects FIFA’s commitment to developing women’s refereeing and raising its technical and physical standards.

Ballan said that the seminar's program includes specialized theoretical lectures, discussion sessions, as well as precise medical and physical tests, in addition to practical on-field applications involving players, ensuring maximum technical benefit for the participating referees.

He added that there will be eight friendly matches held, during which the referees’ performances will be comprehensively evaluated, contributing to their preparation for upcoming international assignments.

The Chairman of the Qatar Football Association Referees Committee noted that the seminar represented an important milestone in the preparation of elite women referees and comes as part of FIFA’s strategy to qualify women refereeing cadres according to the highest international standards.

For his part, Collina praised the extensive facilities provided by the Qatar Football Association, stressing that the organizational and technical capabilities available in Doha greatly contribute to the success of such specialized seminars.

Collina also wished all participating referees success, expressing his anticipation of positive outcomes that would be reflected in the level of women’s refereeing in upcoming international competitions.

It is worth noting that this seminar is one of three FIFA seminars hosted by Qatar during the month of February. The FIFA seminar for Video Assistant Referee (VAR) officials from the Asian and African football confederations was previously held from Feb. 3 to 5, 2026.

Qatar’s hosting of these successive seminars reflects FIFA’s great confidence in the advanced organizational capabilities possessed by the country, reinforces the close relationship between Qatar and FIFA, and underscores the long-standing and fruitful cooperation between the Qatar Football Association and FIFA, in a manner that serves the development of the refereeing system at both regional and international levels. (QNA)