During the development of the SCA Women’s Club Handball Championship in San José, the program “Protagonistas” was broadcasted live on our YouTube channel. One of the guests was Teodoro Adjemian, head referee of the Confederación Sur y Centro América de Balonmano (CoSCABal) and technical delegate of the International Handball Federation (IHF). Adjemian shared his experiences and challenges in arbitration worldwide. With an outstanding career that includes participation in the Olympic Games and multiple world championships, the Argentinean reflects on the current state of refereeing and its evolution.
In his role as CoSCABal chief referee and international technical delegate, Teodoro Adjemian not only supervises referees in South America, but also participates in major global tournaments. “It is a pride to represent Argentina at such a high level within the International Handball Federation, considering that our country is not a power in this sport”.he says.
He made it clear that the level of arbitrators varies significantly between countries, while some have strong development programs, others do not consider arbitration a priority. He highlighted the teamwork they have been carrying out in CoSCABal, which has allowed them to grow together both professionally and personally.
Regarding the acceptance of the referee in handball, the Argentinean observed significant cultural differences: “In Europe I have seen matches with a full capacity of spectators on the field and with not so good referees and people do not protest, it is a cultural issue”. In contrast, he mentioned that in South America there is still a lack of cultural preparation to accept and respect the referee’s task.
Finally, Teodoro stressed the importance of handball federations prioritizing the development of refereeing: “It is essential that the federations have refereeing on their agenda of priorities and that they are surrounded by responsible and suitable people trained for this function.”. He criticized the lack of professional support in many countries and stressed the need to detect and train new talent in refereeing to ensure sustainable development in the sport.
Adjemian’s experience and vision reflect the complexity and challenges of refereeing in handball, highlighting the importance of dedication, respect and continuous development to reach a level of excellence in the sport.
We share with you the full interview from our YouTube channel Handball SCA America:
Photo: CoSCABal/Germán Paez.
By Camila Miranda Torres.
