“We got formal information about this only yesterday,” informed Nepal Volleyball Association president Ganga Bahadur Thapa amidst a press meet on Wednesday. Lasiwa is now eligible to conduct any international match.
Lasiwa became associated with volleyball as a referee since 1994 and became a national referee in 1997. “In the beginning I started as a player and I was just an average player,” said Lasiwa to myrepublica.com. However, his campaign to become an international referee began in 2004.
After being active as a national volleyball referee, he was referred by Nepal Volleyball Association to the international volleyball governing body as an international referee candidate in 2004. Lasiwa then conducted about 10 different international matches to fulfill the norms for becoming an international referee. As the part of the norms, one must conduct at least seven matches. He conducted four south Asian level matches, two each in Pakistan and Sri Lanka and three Asian level matches in Taiwan.
After receiving the international referee badge from Ganga Bahadur Thapa on Wednesday, 39-year-old Lasiwa said with delight, “Other candidates who started with me from other countries have already got the badge, and though I got it late I am very happy.”
Lasiwa is now preparing to translate international volleyball rules into Nepali. “It will help all concerned parties like referees, players and coaches to understand the game.”
Commenting on the potential of volleyball in Nepal he said, "Volleyball is a geography-friendly game and we too have potential but we are unable to manage it properly".
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