Singapore referee Abdul Malik Abdul Bashir, who will referee  the crucial match in Doha between Qatar and Iran , in the FIFA World Cup qualifier match , won the inaugural ASEAN Football Federation Referee of the Year Award. -TNP

David Lee of The New Paper, reports:

SINGAPORE – He was once the sort of player referees would hate to handle.

But in a curious twist of fate, Abdul Malik Abdul Bashir is now the one holding the whistle.

And on Wednesday, the former “bad boy” won the inaugural ASEAN Football Federation Referee of the Year Award.

Said the 45-year-old: “I played in the National Football League, and the only consistent thing I was known for was getting yellow and red cards.

“Then there was this one day when I seriously injured an opponent. The next day, I felt really down and I happened to see an advertisement looking for referees.

“I cannot explain what happened, but I went for it and got into the world of refereeing.”

If there is a more thankless job than being a goalkeeper, the match officials are probably it.

Assistant referee Tang Yew Mun, who picked up the Assistant Referee of the Year 2012 on Wednesday, said: “Nobody cheers the referees if we get a decision right.

“But if we get it wrong, you can be sure they will let us know what they think.”

Two-time S-League Referee of the Year Abdul Malik added: “For sure, there is pressure, especially in international games. If we make a mistake, they won’t say Abdul Malik is not good. They will say Singaporean referees are lousy.

“Everyone of us flies our country’s flag when we officiate a game and we know the importance of doing a good job.”

Yet, the appreciation of the crowd is not what spurs them on in this part-time career. Both referees insist it is their love for the sport.

Focus

Tang, a 37-year-old operation team leader at Singapore Flyer Pte Ltd, said: “There are no two ways about it. To be a good referee, you need to have passion and commitment.

“You must also be able to take criticism positively, stay focused and work hard.”

Abdul Malik, who is a referee executive with the Football Association of Singapore, added that in order to keep fit, he religiously goes for his runs, even if it is after midnight.

“It’s all about honesty and discipline,” he said.

But it is not all just work and no play.

Refereeing has allowed Abdul Malik and Tang, both Fifa-accredited referees who have officiated World Cup and Olympic qualifiers, to travel far and wide to countries they never dreamed of visiting.

Tang said: “The most memorable place I went to referee was Tajikistan.

“Not many people would know where this country is, and it is not somewhere most people would go for holiday. But I’m thankful that I had the opportunity to go to places like this.”

For history buff Abdul Malik, to be able to visit historical sites in Isfahan, Iran and Samarkand, Uzbekistan, was a dream come true.

However, in a few months’ time, he will have to call time on his international refereeing career as the retirement age for Fifa referees is 45.

Yet, Abdul Malik says he has no regrets about not officiating at a World Cup.

He does have one more refereeing dream though.

“I hope that with the two of us winning these awards, it will inspire more to explore refereeing as a career,” he said.