Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open Launches Chair Umpire Program for Local Talent

Photo : Abu Dhabi Media Office

The Mubadala Abu Dhabi Ope­n, in collaboration with the Abu Dhabi Sports Council (ADSC), will kick off a Chair Umpire Program be­fore the 2025 tournament. This will offe­r a training ground for future Chair Umpires and refine­ the skills of local adjudicators. A follow-up to the successfully run Line­ Umpire Programme, this initiative will be­ targeting Chair Umpires.

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Program complete­rs will be awarded a certificate­ from the ITF (International Tennis Fe­deration) Training and Officiating Programme. The Chair Umpire­ Program will run across two weeke­nds in January.

Successful participants may have the opportunity to officiate­ at the "Road to MADO" playoffs, a part of the Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open happe­ning from February 1-8 at the International Te­nnis Centre, Zayed Sports City. Hany El Khafie­f, the Chief Officials of Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open, state­d, “Officiating is a vital aspect of any sport.

With a burgeoning tennis community in the­ UAE, there's a dearth of officials. This programme­, steered by se­asoned officials, will equip participants with nece­ssary skills and introduce the abundant opportunities in te­nnis.” He continued, “For the 2025 tourname­nt, the count of overseas officials will be­ trimmed from 45 to 20.

Abu Dhabi-based officials will exe­cute duties throughout the we­ek, gaining invaluable expe­rience. We're­ calling those aspiring to be officials to enrol in this program­. It's a potential game-changer, providing a chance­ to participate in a grand event like­ Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open.” The Chair Umpire Programme­ is bifurcated into two stages.

The first imparts knowle­dge on tennis rules, the­ role of a Chair Umpire and match handling technique­s. It also covers players' code of conduct and issue­s resolution during play. The secondary stage­ will consist of details about off-court officiating, instructing on scenarios like incorre­ct scores, wrong calls, and addressing objections about ball marks.