Postcard from Bishkek

Although I was never really fond of football, (sorry, Soccer for the Americans), and rarely ever played … I did take to the game of Rugby.

I was never a particular talented player, however, and I always used to joke when someone asked me what position I played, that I was usually “seventeenth man” … the ‘joke’ being that a Rugby team only has fifteen players.  Although a top ranking team may have a number of substitutes sitting on the bench for each game, at our level of “club” rugby everyone wanted “a game” so, unless it was a Big Game, we usually only had one Reserve … and he had to “run the line” as the Touch Judge … and he wasn’t usually keen on the job.

There was rarely ever a “seventeenth man” … but I would turn up each Saturday on the off-chance that someone might not be able to make it so that I would get promoted off the bench and onto the park – or maybe someone would “come off” – injured – and I would be asked to run up and down the field as a member of the team.  Most of the time I still ran up and down the sidelines … as the Touch Judge … raising my arm to indicate when the ball went out of play.  As well as giving me some exercise, and a sense of camaraderie as a member of the team – it earned me a place gave me access to the bar after the game … and, to be honest, I quite enjoyed it.

Sometimes, however, I was asked to take on the role of Referee … and that was a role that I definitely did not enjoy.

It is possible to think of the role of the Touch Judge, (Linesman or Assistant Referee - as they are known in Soccer), as a fairly simple one … they make a limited number of decisions … but they can always be overruled by the referee.  The referee, on the other hand takes full control of the match – he needs to have a good knowledge of the laws of the game, be active on the field, ever observant and aware of a myriad of potential issues … and have to make instant decisions on the spur of the moment … which could materially affect the result of the game and for which they will be held accountable.  It can be a very controversial role – and requires as much commitment as being a star player earning vast sums of money … and unlike the players they control on the pitch, most referees are not professions earning big pay cheques but amateurs receiving modest fees and expenses.

There’s been a lot of news recently about Football in Kyrgyzstan.

For example, when the President of FIFA paid a short visit to the country and promised support for the development of the sport in the country.

Football is quite popular here … but it seems to be as a spectator sport rather than a participation sport.

The national team has a chequered history … although averaging in the official FIFA rankings somewhere around 159 – out of 207 countries – reaching their best position (119th) in August 2006 … but falling to 201st position in March 2013.  However, they also managed a meteoric rise immediately following this … and at the beginning of May this year had stabilized at 146th place.

Although we may not have internationally recognized teams or players who are household names, that’s not to say that there are no “stars”.

One of them is Bahadyr Kochkarov.

He may not be as famous as a Beckham, Ronaldo, Eusabio or Pele … but, in my opinion at least, he deserves far more credit because his job is actually a lot more difficult … he’s a FIFA  internationally accredited Assistant Referee – what we used to call a Linesman.

Unlike when I was playing club Rugby, where each team provided one Touch Judge to run the line, in the higher echelons of the game and in Association Football, Referees and their Assistants are independent of the usually as a team as well.  Kochkarov belongs a a team of three … headed by the internationally qualified referee Rachsna Irmatov  from Uzbekistan … together with either Rafael Ilyasov or Abduhamidullo Rasulov, (also from Uzbekistan).

The trio have been together for some years and officiated in a number of international competitions – including at the World Cup, officiating in the opening match of the 2010 competition in South Africa … a 1-1 draw between South Africa and Mexico … and one of the semi finals.

Incidentally, as an indicator of the difficulties of taking on the responsibilities of being a referee, last year, Irmatov made a “technical error” in an international match by playing the “advantage rule” after he had blown his whistle to award a penalty … a split second decision … made in good faith but which which he later admitted was a mistake.  It not only led to protests on the pitch but an official inquiry after the game was over.

 

Kochkarov was born on 13th May, 1970 in Osh.  His father a taxi driver and his mother a teacher of history.  Although his father was keen on football, Bahadyr was the only one of his four sons who took up sport – wrestling as well as football – starting at the age of six. By the time he was 15 he was playing basketball and ice hockey … and even chess.  It wasn’t always easy and he says that, in order to buy the necessary equipment, he worked … making bricks.

He was more successful in sport than academic studies … rarely turning his hand to complete homework.  On the other hand – when he was in the tenth grade, (aged 16/17), he was given the role of Physical Education instructor for those four or five years younger.

In fact, he later went on to complete a teacher training course and took on the role of a junior coach.  That’s more or less how he got into refereeing.  Turning up with his team for a tournament, the appointed referee had been taken ill and there wasn’t time to find a replacement,  and the tournament organizers asked him to take on the job, offering him the whistle.

That was in 1991 and he went on the following year to become a qualified referee … at least on the local level – even at the national level, eventually being nominated to the international arena in 1997 and started training for his new role.

His debut on the international scene apparently came in 2003 – a match between Uzbekistan and Cambodia.  

Then came the 2010 World Cup … and what should have been a moment of triumph turned into a trying and difficult period.  As he prepared and officiated in competition matches, his home city was in turmoil … his family hiding in a cellar as riots, looting, mayhem tore the city apart … killing hundreds and burning down many of the  buildings. Fortunately, his family all survived unharmed and were able to take part in the celebrations organized to welcome him home.

As well as the 2010 World Cup, he has also officiated at the London Olympics and has been included in the panel of referees for this year’s World Cup in Brazil.  

 

 

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