Xinhua News Agency, Tokyo, October 25 (reporter Yang Ting, Prince Jiang) Japanese female referee Yamashita Liangmei will appear in the Qatar World Cup next month. She said in an interview in Tokyo a few days ago that the upcoming “law enforcement” World Cup has a feeling of a dream come true.

Yamashita Liangmei made the above statement at the online press conference held by the Japanese Association of Journalists a few days ago. The 36-year-old Yamashita Liangmei is one of the only three female referees among the 36 referees announced by FIFA.

Over the past few years, Liangmei under the mountain has won enough trust for female judges with his own efforts. In addition to serving as the referee in the J League (Japan football professional league) and the Asian Champions League, she also served as the referee in the women’s football World Cup in 2019 and the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.

She said, “I don’t think there is any difference between women’s competition and Men’s match. Of course, improving the speed of judgment is the biggest topic in Qatar’s World Cup preparation, including improving the speed of running, which is helpful for improving the speed of judgment.”

The Reporter of Xinhua news agency asked her how to improve the running speed. She said that when she was a player, the speed of the guard was not fast, but after she worked as a referee, she began to conduct speed training specially. Especially after becoming the registered referee of FIFA in 2015, she specially invited private education. Until now, she still carries out speed training with private education. Over the years, her running ability has been greatly improved.

Yamashita Liangmei is also the only referee from Japan in the World Cup in Qatar. She said that the World Cup is approaching day by day, “Every day is very uneasy”, but every day is encouraged, let her forget this fear. She said that when I was a player, I thought the World Cup was an unreachable dream. After I started to work as a referee, I also felt that the World Cup was an unreachable dream. Now I can enforce the World Cup and have a feeling that my dream will come true. Therefore, for this goal, she will do her best.

She said: “Although the pressure is great, the mood of maintaining a sense of responsibility has the absolute upper hand.”

Liangmei at Yamashita revealed that the World Cup referees had no chance to go to the scene for simulation training, and only conducted an online simulation. The referees would arrive in Qatar in early November for some skill and physical training, both male and female judges must meet the same requirements.

When the reporter asked her favorite players and teams who wanted to enforce the law most, she said, “none of these can be disclosed.”

Looking back on his referee career, Liangmei at Yamashita said, “there is no satisfactory referee experience so far. As a football referee, the most difficult thing is the self-accusation and regret after the lonely training and mistakes every day.”

For the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) introduced in the stadium in recent years, she said that VAR is the product of the development of the times, and judges use it to make more accurate judgments, it is a good auxiliary means. However, she also said that if there were VAR in the 1986 World Cup, there would be no goal Maradona scored against England by hand. “Thinking of this, I have no regrets, but as a referee, I don’t know if it is good to say so.”

“I think as a referee, human touch is also very important. A good match requires selfless players and audience. The referee should help the match achieve such a goal. I didn’t do special training on VAR or felt pressure because of it.”

Liangmei in Yamashita began to like football at the age of 4. He played football in the men’s team until the sixth grade of primary school. He played basketball for three years in high school and went back to the football field after entering the university.

“I can’t tell what I like most about football, that is, I can’t give it up all the time. 22 people chase a ball at the same time, which can be said to be a simple pleasure.”