TOKYO: Yoshimi Yamashita became Japan’s initial woman professional football referee on Mon (Aug 1) and said she was happy to “make a splash” as the lady prepares to create history at the World Mug.
Yamashita, 36, was called in May alongside France’s Stephanie Frappart plus Rwanda’s Salima Mukansanga as officials to get Qatar later this season – the first women to referee in a men’s World Mug.
Yamashita has now signed a professional agreement with the Japan Football Association and invested her first day on the job giving a talk to school kids.
Her brand new role comes not more than a year after Japan launched its very first professional women’s football league, the WE League.
Yamashita, the first woman to consider charge of a mens Asian Champions Little league match, said the lady thought it was “good to turn the attention upon women”.
“The goal is to arrive at the point where it’s not a big deal that a woman is usually refereeing a men’s match, but at this time I’m happy this really is making a splash, inch she said.
Yamashita, Frappart and Mukansanga were selected among 36 referees for the World Mug in November-December, using a further three women named on the list of 69 assistants for the first time.
Yamashita said she was looking forward to “breathing the World Cup air” in Qatar and was trying to accelerate her decision-making.
“That’s something you are able to improve on, whichever online game you’re refereeing, ” she said.
“Even if the action is happening at a dizzying pace, if you can raise your decision-making speed, you may make each decision obviously. ”
Yamashita, who became the first woman to officiate a game in Japan’s domestic J-League a year ago, explained the job of the referee to kids and answered their own questions at the JFA’s headquarters on Mon.
“I had been nervous throughout : when I got my cards out, the hands were trembling, ” she mentioned afterwards.
“I was nervous but really happy to observe their eyes sparkling as they listened intently. I had a lot of fun. ”