British Referees Land Olympic Role

FORMER GB international handball players Allan Stokes and Brian Bartlett have been appointed as referees at the London Olympic Games later this year.

The duo, who have made a successful switch to refereeing and have already officiated at several top European matches, will work together as one pair of several referees needed for the 24-team handball competition at the 2012 games.

“I am overjoyed that we have received the nomination to be part of the Olympic games in London,” said Stokes. “It shows that with hard work and a willingness to learn and improve people can achieve anything that they wish to, and I am extremely grateful for the opportunity we have been given.

“Going forward I am looking forward to being part of the world’s biggest sporting competition, and getting to referee top level matches, and being part of the atmosphere within the handball arena and Olympic Park itself.

“To get selected we have had to try and referee as many games as possible as well as attend courses to receive both our EHF and IHF referee badges. Over the last two years we have travelled from country to country refereeing as well as getting as many domestic matches as possible in Scotland and England as possible.”

Among the events the pair have refereed at are EHF Cup and European Cup matches, World Championship qualifiers, the Youth World Championships in Argentina, the European University Championships as well as Danish First and Second Division matches.