FIFA have selected New Zealand referee Peter O’Leary and his assistants Jan-Hendrik Hintz (New Zealand) and Ravinesh Kumar (Fiji) to officiate during the Men’s Olympic Football Tournament from 26 July to 11 August.
It follows on from the trio’s successful performances at the FIFA Club World Cup in Japan last December while O’Leary and Kumar also represented OFC at the FIFA U-20 World Cup Colombia 2011.
A total of 16 referees and 32 assistant referees were confirmed for the 16-team men’s tournament while in the women’s 12-team event, FIFA named 12 referees and 24 assistant referees.
The appointment marks another successful milestone for OFC’s Refereeing Assistance Programme (RAP) led by Development Officer Massimo Raveino.
“With the support of FIFA, we have developed a strong programme where match officials are provided a pathway to reach pinnacle events like the Olympic Games,” says Raveino.
“It is important to acknowledge the hard work of this elite trio but also the referees officiating at all levels across Oceania who are helping to lift standards within our Confederation.”
O’Leary is now one of the most experienced referees in the region following the retirement of fellow New Zealander Michael Hester who led an OFC trio to the previous Olympic Games in 2008. The Whangarei-based school teacher made the cut for the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ in South Africa, during which he was called into action as a fourth official.
OFC will also be represented at the Olympics by New Zealand’s Oly Whites and Football Ferns after winning their respective qualifying events and gaining the seal of approval by the New Zealand Olympic Committee on Wednesday.
For the full list of referees visit FIFA.com

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