Kenya Hockey Union deputy match and fixture secretary Moses Majiwa has defended umpires over the recent criticism, terming the recent bashing of the arbitrators as ‘unfair and unwarranted’.
He said umpires have always been impartial and made free, fair and independent decisions as mandated to them by the KHU. Umpiring decisions during matches have of late elicited furry and protest from coaches and players, who feel infringed by some of the rulings.
However, Majiwa said umpires make decisions based on their observation without showing any partiality.
He said: “Referees enforce the rules and arbitrate on matters arising from the play. We have confidence in the good work they are doing. The perception that certain judges are out to wield or manipulate the results in favour of another team during a match has no basis.”
“Normally, referees have a better view of proceedings on the field because the two are closest to the proceedings and on different halves during play. In the case of different judgments, they consult each other and come up with the best solution. Protesting on the touchline and having a pre-conceived mind that an official favours a certain team is uncalled for. This mentality has affected even the players who think referees target certain teams.”
He added: “ Rarely, there are situations that are subject to discussion but being critical even to the most obvious of decisions is not sportsmanship and these complaints normally arise when teams are on the losing end.”
