Muscat – Wafaa bint Saeed al Simriyah, a former talented basketball player, has become the first Omani woman to earn an international badge as a basketball court referee. She has been a certified basketball referee for several basketball tournaments.

The International Basketball Federation recently announced its roster of international referees for the term 2023-2025, and among the distinguished names is Wafaa bint Saeed al Simriyah from Oman. This is considered a historic achievement for Oman and marks her career as the first Omani female referee to receive this credential.

Wafaa had embarked on her basketball journey in 2012 with the Caledonian College of Engineering team, eventually joining the Omani national team and showcasing her skills in the 2019 Gulf Championship.

Representing the Ahli Sadab Club and the Petroleum Development Oman team in local tournaments, she said, “I chose basketball because it is one of the games I enjoyed playing the most since I was very young.”

Her list of accomplishments includes triumphs in various local championships, such as the Federation Championship, Basketball Trios Championship, Sultan University Championship, Corporate Championship, and internal championships of the Petroleum Development Oman Company. Notably, she has secured the top scorer award and best player award in many of the championships.

Transitioning to refereeing in 2019, Wafaa earned the International Refereeing Certificate for Backgammon Referees in 2020. Her journey into refereeing involved officiating in internal championships and leagues across different age categories.

Reflecting on this shift, she said, “As a player, my focus was on skill and tactics, but when I became involved in refereeing, I learned how to get a comprehensive grasp of all aspects of the game from a referee’s perspective.”

In 2020, Wafaa began officiating in internal championships and leagues across various age categories. She also took part in external camps in Kuwait and Qatar, which included matches.

Omani referees are currently recognised as elite, actively contributing to the refereeing of major continental competitions. With pride, she noted, “Our referees participate in refereeing the largest continental competitions.”

Recently awarded the international badge for the 2023-2025 session, she said it served as a motivation to intensify her efforts in this field. Her goal is to be fully prepared for any external assignment, emphasising, “I want to represent Oman optimally. I hope that obtaining this badge will motivate my fellow players to also engage in refereeing some day.”

To Omani female athletes, she offered valuable advice, saying, “Continue your efforts, develop your skills, set tough goals, and aim high. It requires a lot of effort and patience but you will reach your goals with dedication and hard work.”

Wafaa was, however, skeptical about the prospects of Oman hosting world championships, due to logistic constraints. Nevertheless, she said, “I hope to see Omani women’s basketball teams on the podium in coming years. We are capable of that.”