BHUBANESWAR 18-Oct-2015
Prabin Kumar Nayak became the first certified international tennis referee of Odisha by successfully clearing the Level-2 White Badge officiating exams, conducted by International Tennis Federation (ITF) in The Lawn Tennis Association of Thailand (LTAT) Complex, Nonthaburi, Thailand from 14-18 October 2015.
Rourkela-based Nayak was the only Indian selected for appearing this exam. He will be 12th certified white badge tennis official in India after the certification programme came into effect in the year 1999. Currently, two gold badge referees, two silver badge referees, six bronze badge chair umpires, 11 white badge referees, 18 white badge chair umpires, one silver badge chief of officials and one white badge chief of officials are functioning in India.
In the year 2011, Nayak was selected as chair umpire. Since 2011, he has officiated more than 100 sanctioned international and national tournaments in India, including Fed Cup and ITF Juniors.
Nayak thanked his family members, friends and relatives who supported him come thus far. He also thanked and dedicated the badge to ITF White Badge Official Jakkireddy Shiva Kumar Reddy, his tutor and mentor for several years and Subhransu Charan Sarangi, under whose guidance he started his officiating career at Bhubaneswar.
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PHOTO: Prabin Nayak with ITF Regional Officer for Asia Nitin Kannamwar (Left) and ITF Chair Umpire Wayne McKewen.
