As the EuroHockey Indoor Junior Championship, Men - Lisbon 2017 approaches, it is time to get to know the main characters of the event taking place between 13th to 15th January.
 
Rob ten Cate, EuroHockey Lisbon 2017 Umpire Manager, kindly shared his thoughts about the incoming tournament, as well as his opinion about the hosting country, Portugal
 
 
As the EuroHockey Lisboa 2017 Umpire Manager, what do you expect of this tournament?
The Eurohockey Indoor tournament is one of the TOP EHF tournaments in 2017 and I am very proud to be appointed as UM. I expect a very high level of indoor hockey in very competitive matches. All games will be great to watch as it seems that all teams are capable of beating all other teams.
 
Can you explain your role as Umpire Manager for those who barely know about the structures of these big tournaments?
To brief umpires prior to an event and to ensure consistency of interpretation and rule application.
To brief team managers prior to an event explaining the umpires briefing.
To advise the Tournament Director which umpires to appoint for each game.
To coach Umpires and assist them to improve their performance.
To assess the overall performance of each umpire.
To help in organizational matters (travel arrangements, meetings, hotel, meals, social events etc.
 
 
Have you ever visited Portugal or Lisbon?
As a member of the EHF Education committee, I enjoyed the hospitality of the Portuguese Hockey Federation in March 2016, when they hosted our meeting. After a very productive meeting, we got the opportunity to do sightseeing in Lisbon including visiting some of the cultural treasures of the city. As an indoor tournament typically has a challenging time schedule, I do not expect that we have time for sightseeing. However, I do look forward to meet with "my old friends" from all over Europe that will come to visit the tournament.