Swedish referees Line Welin and Alice Watson have earned IHF certification after their impressive performance at the U18 World Championship in China this August.
The decision was made by the IHF Executive Committee, meaning Welin and Watson can now officiate international matches at the highest level. The referee duo expressed great joy and gratitude at reaching this milestone and look forward to future challenges.
– It feels both exciting and a bit surreal to have achieved IHF status! Being part of our wonderful handball community, both nationally and internationally, is a great honor, and we are thankful and happy for this opportunity. It hasn’t been easy; the course in China was our greatest challenge so far, but we got through it together and cannot thank everyone at home enough for their support,” the referees told svenskhandboll.se.
Their appointment followed their strong performances during the Women’s U18 World Championship held in China from August 14 to 25. Throughout the tournament, they participated in a rigorous evaluation program to ensure they met the high standards required for international handball matches.