Under the supervision of the IAAF, the Qatar Athletics Federation held a development officiating course from 27-28 October 2009 at the Qatar Olympic Committee hall, in preparation for the World Indoor Athletics Championships, scheduled for 12-14 March 2010 at Aspire Academy, attended by 140 male and female officials. The lectures were given by Australian international lecturer Mr Brian Roe, the championships’ technical delegate, who covered the new amendments to the IAAF’s international rules, adopted at the IAAF General Assembly meeting in August in Berlin 2009 on the sidelines of the World Championships. The lecturer also covered the most important technical aspects of officiating, using electronic visual aids by displaying officiating scenarios on screen for greater clarity, and answered all the questions raised by the officials. The clarifications provided by Mr Abdel Hakim Mohammed Al Omari, Chairman of the Officials Committee, during the lectures also enriched the sessions, giving them a technical character and reducing overlaps in the concepts and different interpretations of officiating scenarios. Most participants in the course confirmed they had benefited greatly from these lectures, especially since they covered the new rule amendments that will apply at the World Indoor Championships in Doha. The Qatar Athletics Federation will hold another officiating course before the World Championships so that officials are fully prepared to officiate the championships.
