GUWAHATI: Meghalaya’s Riiohlang Dhar has become the second Indian woman assistant referee to be selected for the upcoming FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup, which will be held in the Dominican Republic.
34-year-old Riiohlang was included in the list of 38 match officials chosen by FIFA for the tournament, which will be held from October 10 to November 3.
Notably, Uvena Fernandes was the first Indian woman assistant referee to have the honour of supervising in the World Cup. She officiated in the 2016 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Jordan.
Riiohlang, who also serves in the Meghalaya police department, said that her appointment for the World Cup is a great honour for her.
“I have to work harder to live up to FIFA’s expectations. I will also keep in mind that I will be there as a representative of India. I will do everything to keep India’s flag high,” said the assistant referee.
Her journey into refereeing began in 2009. “After I stopped playing football, I joined a referee course in my local town and found it interesting since it will keep me in touch with the game I love.
Riiohlang finally decided to take up the whistle and the flag, and has come a long way since then. “I have supervised many international tournaments, but the World Cup is going to be a different experience,” she said.
Chairperson of the AIFF Referees’ Committee K. Sankar said Riiohlang’s fine performance in AFC and FIFA international matches was one of the reasons behind her appointment.
Sankar said Riiohlang’s appointment is a great honour for the All India Football Federation (AIFF).
On behalf of the Referees’ Committee, I wish her a great World Cup ahead, he said.
She further added that it was the teamwork that took her this far. “Without the help of my state association, the AIFF and my employers, I wouldn’t have reached the World Cup. The AIFF is doing a tremendous job in the development of women’s referees,” she said.
