Jamaican referees set for Paris Olympics

JAMAICANS DANEON Parchment and Odette Hamilton have been selected by FIFA to officiate at the Paris Summer Olympics this summer.

The FIFA Referees Committee has appointed 89 match officials (21 referees, 42 assistant referees, 20 video match officials, and six support referees) from 45 countries to officiate matches at the Olympic football tournaments. Parchment will work as a video match official (VAR) 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 in Paris on August 10.

The men’s competition will begin on July 24, while the gold medal match will take place on August 9, also at the Parc des Princes.

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, the selected match officials will be looking down the road to the FIFA World Cup in 2026 and the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2027.