Ravshan Irmatov gets Order of People’s Honour

Referee Ravshan Irmatov is awarded with Order of People’s Honour of Uzbekistan. The match official officiated at 2014’s World Cup in Brazil. All three major football papers devote their frontpage to Uzbekistan’s World Cup referees they day after the event.

That is how more countries and sports papers should honour referees. I love it.

It’s not just an Order of People’s Honour that Ravshan Irmatov got.

Thanks to Sanjar Rizayev, the press officer, I am allowed to publish a photo series from the ceremony and the new car Irmatov got from the president.

The car keys for the referee and his assistant.

Press conference after ref gets honoured.

Ravshan Irmatov and his new Chevrolet car.

The speech from Ravshan Irmatov.

“I am learning more and more and I am gaining more experience. I am very happy that I have this opportunity”, the Uzebekistan referee says. Read the interview I did with Ravshan Irmatov. Thee Uzbezkistan refree was one of the referees who surprised the World in 2010. In 2014 he got the record of refereeing 9 World Cup matches. In 2010 he got the semi-final between The Netherlands and Uruguay. In 2014 he officiated a quarter final between The Netherlands and Costa Rica.