Campbell appointed to Commonwealth Games panel, wants others to follow his lead

Sylvester 'Chris' Campbell said his appointment to the Umpire Appointment Panel (UAP) for this year’s Commonwealth Games should serve as an inspiration to other local officials in the sport. The Commonwealth Games will be held in Glasgow, Scotland, from July 23 to August 2.

Campbell, who has served as a netball coach and official for the past 30 years, said he is ecstatic about the achievement and is looking forward to giving his best at the championships.

“I have been to two Commonwealth Games as an umpire but this is the first time in this capacity where I am going to be doing the appointments of the umpires for each game. I am looking forward to it because it is going to be a new challenge and new experience for me,” Campbell said.

“Anybody in any sport wants to go to the pinnacle and so this is something that I am definitely looking forward to. With the experience that I have as a coach you understand how to read the game and therefore you know what the umpires are expected to do, so all of it is tied in one so that is what experience is all about.”

Campbell pointed out that being the first male selected from Jamaica to the role makes the achievement even more special, and he hopes it will motivate other officials to aim high.

“I am the first male to be selected to this capacity, so this should be an inspiration for people behind me and so they should aspire to achieve this goal as well. I hope that I will inspire the next generation who want to get to the top and do the same thing,” he said.

Campbell also explained the role and responsibilities of the UAP during the tournament.

“We are responsible for allocating umpires for the games, based on their potential and how they have been performing. The stronger umpires get the stronger games, so I am appointing umpires for the games and giving feedback at the end of each game and coaching them along the journey in this tournament so that is the function of the UAP,” he said. 

Despite the prestige attached to the role, Campbell noted that the position is voluntary, but the exposure and experience make it worthwhile.

“There is no pay because the Commonwealth Games is no salary on this panel, but there are no out-of-pocket expenses when you go to these events and so the experience and exposure is what you need and so you just get on the plane and go.”