Sixteen aspiring national showdown referees from four countries took part in a training course in Seoul, South Korea, in early December, as the sport aims to grow its profile in the region.

Hosted by the Korean Blind Sports Association (KBSA) and the International Blind Sports Federation (IBSA) Showdown Committee, participants from South Korea, China, Nepal and Singapore gained their official qualification.

Over four days from 2-5 December, the Chairperson of the Committee Massimo Sanapo and Elena Santini, both international showdown referee lecturers, delivered theoretical and practical training sessions with help in the organisation from Kang Ho Yong from the KBSA.
 
The seminar included a full explanation of the rules of showdown, how to complete match paperwork, equipment checks and the referee code of conduct.

The first two days were spent outlining these areas before practical sessions took place.

During the practical, participants got the chance to observe live and recorded games between real players before going on to referee themselves. Throughout the course Sanapo and Santini gave feedback to participants to ensure they went away with an in-depth understanding of officiating in showdown.

Exams were also held at the end of both the theoretical and practical training, with 14 people awarded the Showdown National Referee Certificate.

“A huge thank to Korean Blind Sports Association for making this possible, to the participants who were so enthusiastic and interested in our beloved sport, to the athletes who made themselves available for their future referees and, last but not least, to Seiyoung Claire Paeng who is following us from 2015 as an interpreter, Santini said. “My wish is to meet all of you again in international tournaments."
 
Showdown is working to increase its global reach and hopes to hold more courses for referees as well as coaches and competition organisers in other regions.
 
IBSA Showdown will also continue working with the KBSA to attract participants from more Asian countries.
 
Next Sanapo will attend the II Congress on Adapted Physical Activity in Porto, Portugal, where he will deliver a talk on showdown on 7 February.