Nicholas Chin (AUS), Casim (AUS), Suyuan (Michael) Liu (NZL) and Chris Milne (AUS) were selected to attend the event, giving them the chance to test their skills at a higher level of competition.
A First-Time Experience
While three of the umpires had attended the tournament before, this year marked Nicholas Chin’s first appearance at the Australian Open, and it proved to be an experience unlike anything he’d encountered previously.
“This definitely takes the cake and it’s on another level, from the level of play to the wonderful support from the hosts and sponsors,” he said. “It felt both amazing and nerve wracking at the same time but with the support of my fellow colleagues, I was able to overcome it quickly and get on with it.”
For Chin, the tournament was about more than ticking boxes technically, it was a chance to sharpen the soft skills that come with experience.
“The biggest learning curve over the week was learning to manage delay and being comfortable with pushing players to play on,” he explained. “This level of tournament is definitely a step up from my local tournaments as players there are keen on starting the play as soon as possible. Whereas at this level, players are taking time to get ready as there is more at stake and potentially playing mind tricks.”
A New Role for Simon Lin
Simon Lin (NZL), who previously attended the tournament as an umpire, stepped into a new role this year as he continues his progression as a referee.
Appointed Local Deputy Referee, Lin gained his first taste of the HSBC BWF World Tour, working alongside a referee team from across the globe and picking up hands-on experience of what it takes to operate at the top level.
Certification Success for Rita Chen
Rita Chen, another member of Badminton Oceania’s Development Programme, was also appointed to umpire at the Australian Open as part of her Oceania Certification assessment. Confidently controlling matches from the umpire’s chair, Chen passed her assessment and is now an Oceania Certificated Umpire.
A Pathway in Action
This year’s Australian Open proved an important milestone for our technical officials continuing their journey through the Oceania Technical Officials Development Programme towards BWF accreditation. There are currently 12 members in the programme, with Eugene Glazman becoming its first graduate in 2025 after earning his BWF Referee qualification.
