WHILE Jamaica’s football teams will be absent from Paris Olympic Games, the country will be represented otherwise, as referees Daneon Parchment and Odette Hamilton have been selected by FIFA to officiate at the global multi-sport spectacle this summer.

The two Jamaicans are among 89 match officials –21 referees, 42 assistant referees, 20 video match officials and six support referees – from 45 countries appointed by the FIFA Referees Committee for the football tournaments at the Games.
Parchment will work as a Video Match official, while Hamilton has been selected as support staff.

The women’s tournament will commence on July 25, and conclude with the gold medal match at the Parc des Princes August 10. The men’s competition will begin July 24, with the gold medal match scheduled for August 9, at the same venue.

The match officials’ preparation will be regularly and closely monitored before and during the Olympic Games by a team of FIFA technical trainers, including referees and video assistant referee (VAR) instructors, as well as match analysts, fitness coaches, physiotherapists and sports scientists, all of whom will provide the officials with the best possible guidance and support.

While the Olympic football tournaments are this year’s flagship football competitions, for Parchment and Hamilton, among others, they represent the next important step on the road to the 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup, as well as the FIFA Women’s World Cup scheduled for 2027.(Sportsmax).