First Female Commissioners Named for Asian World Cup Qualifiers

Match commissioners are the official representatives of a governing body at a game and are responsible for ensuring that the match is properly organized and runs smoothly.

Three more female match commissioners - Vietnam's Nguyen Thanh Ha, Hong Kong's Lau Cheuk Chi and Kanya Keomany of Laos - have also been appointed for Asian qualifying matches for the 2022 men's World Cup in Qatar and the 2023 AFC Asian Cup China.

"The Asian football family is proud to have four female match commissioners appointed to manage the Asian Qualifiers," AFC General Secretary Dato' Windsor John said in a statement.

"The AFC values the contribution of women in the sport and we will continue to support women in the workforce."

Kim said she was surprised and proud to be named the first female match commissioner for men's soccer from South Korea.

"I have experience of being a match commissioner in women's competition, but I can expect a big difference between a men's and women's tournament in terms of size and scale so I'm excited with this opportunity," she added.

"I've surpassed my expectations and it is great to see other women going for the match commissioner exams this year.

"People need to believe that it doesn't matter if you are female or male – you just need the proper talent and knowledge to be selected for a job."

REUTERS