Paige Sweetland of Jidel Judo 93 Judo Club in Edinburgh has been awarded the JudoScotland Young Technical Official/ Referee of the Year Award. The JudoScotland Coaching and Volunteering Awards are a National Awards programme designed to recognise the hard work and dedication of the Judo workforce in Scotland. The Young Technical Official/Referee of the Year recognises the hard work and dedication that these roles make to the competition structure, providing fantastic opportunities and experiences in judo.
Paige, on winning the award, commented, “I have been lucky enough to enjoy the sport I love as both a competitor and a referee. I feel that refereeing has given me confidence as a person and a Judo player, and I enjoy doing it as much as I can, when I am not competing. I would like to thank my parents and my club for supporting me and giving me the opportunity.”
Samuel Ingram of JudoScotland added, “Paige is a fantastic role model for her peers, both competitors and other referees. As a young female in the role, she is paving the way for a demographic underrepresented in sport. Officials and referees are the lifeblood of Judo and her commitment to the role shows the benefit of being involved in the sport, out with competition. We look forward to seeing Paige progress through the referee and competitive pathway.”
Paige was presented her award on the 1st of December at Jidel Judo 93 in Edinburgh by JudoScotland Regional Development Officer Samuel Ingram.