Four continents. Four refereeing couples. Four questions. 4-4-4.
Tomoko Ota and Mariko Shimajiri whistled at the 2015 IHF Women’s World Championship in Denmark and are currently refereeing at the 2016 IHF Women’s Youth World Championship in Slovakia. They talk to IHF.info about their careers.
IHF.info: When did you decide to be a referee? Did you play handball before?
Tomoko Ota (TO): When I graduated from university I became a high school teacher and started coaching handball there. While coaching I then began training as a referee when I was around 22-years-old when my career finished as I had an injury to my leg. My university teacher said I should try refereeing.
I used to play centre for the Japanese national team, when I was at junior high school, high school and university. I played in championships but don’t remember them all.
Mariko Shimajiri (MS): I decided to be a handball referee when I was a college student as my teacher said I should try it. It was around 2002. I then started playing handball at 16-years-old – I was a goalkeeper. I didn't participate as a player in international games though like Tomoko.
Handball has actually really made me my life; it has made my mind, my actions, my feelings and is my precious friend. Simply - I love handball.
IHF.info: Can you remember where and when you first met each other?
TO: I think it was November 2010 at a Japan Handball Association referee course in Osaka, I can’t really remember though.
MS: Yes, it was Osaka six years ago. Through handball I have met so many people; I am sincerely grateful.
IHF.info: What did you feel like when you received your IHF refereeing badge? What was your first IHF nomination? How did you feel?
TO: I was very happy, however, I remember thinking we didn’t have the experience and knowledge [as an international referee] but I thought to myself; ‘that starts now’.
Our first nomination was the 2014 Youth Olympic Games in Nanjing. I was not nervous because I experienced world championships as a player on the national team so I was used to them, plus I'm not really a nervous type of person.
We did the IHF Global Refereeing Training Programme (GRTP) in 2012 in Fukuoka, south-west Japan. We were there together for one week. I was very happy of course we passed, but we go step-by-step and we always want to whistle more matches to get more experience.
MS: When I received my IHF badge I was very surprised as you never think you are going to get it, but, of course, I was happy. I’m so full of gratitude towards the people around me who have supported my journey. We first told our university teachers and then our families – they were very happy.
Yes, Nanjing was our first nomination, but I was not very satisfied with my performance as it was the first time for me, although I enjoyed it a lot. We are constantly working hard to improve, especially our communication and English language skills.
IHF.info: When you return to Japan do you speak to young girls and try to get them to start training as a referee?
TO: I am not given at such an opportunity. I think that it is a necessary thing. However, we think that it is more important that I gain more experience. And I think that I do not have an experience of being able to advise it.
MS: I agree, but, still I have been away from my job at school so I will speak to my students about my experiences here; the play, how we work with our minds, the behaviour and, of course, the new rules. Then Tomoko and I will start training together again.
Every small thing here in Slovakia is a good experience for us. The Japan Handball Association will ask us about all of our experiences here, especially the new rules – I like the blue card.
TO: The injured player rule is very simple and for all the people in the hall as well. Japan is not famous for handball, but we want to make it more famous and want more people to watch and play.