Roland Poiger is one of 14 referees at the European Judo Championships in Sofia. On the first two days, the man from Burgenland was one of five judges on mat one. The IJF-A license judge has also already made his first appearances in the finals. JUDO AUSTRIA asked Roland Poiger for a short interview.
As from the point of view of the referee, have the neproven rules? Are you satisfied?
Roland Poiger: “The rule changes are definitely having a positive impact – that’s clear to say. Most important aspect: The athletes grip faster, release the grip less often and use less tactics. That is in the spirit of the sport and makes the fights more attractive.
Discussions about referee decisions are also the order of the day in Sofia – on IAfter the semi-finals in the -60 kg category, there were heated debates on nstagram and Facebook. Do you understand the excitement?
Handle: “Discussions are part of the business, they existed before the rule changes, they still exist. In this specific case, both fighters, the later European champion Francisco Garrigos and the Georgian Lukhumi Chkhvimiani, could have been disqualified – with a particularly strict interpretation. The actions were on the verge of injury. From a neutral point of view, Garrigos is certainly a worthy champion.”
What else has changed – from the referee’s point of view?
Poiger: “Scoring is also clearer now – if the thrown lands at a 90 degree angle on the side or even further to the back, a waza-ari is to be given. No matter where the elbow (in front of the stomach or behind the back) comes to rest. That makes life easier for us judges.”
How ratet you the level of fighting?
Handle: “There is no difference to the World Tour, on the contrary. The atmosphere in the hall is really hot, especially when there are fights with Bulgarian participants. I think the viewers will get their money’s worth.”
How would you rate your own performance? Do you regret a decision?
Handle: “Until now I’ve hardly had any controversial decisions, instead many crystal-clear ippons. That was relatively easy – I’m not aware of any mistakes.”
To put it another way: when did you make the last mistake?
Handle: “Mistakes happen, you don’t always have the best viewing angle. At the Grand Slam in Paris, an Ippon decision was revised by me – to the detriment of a French woman. At first I would have preferred to sink into the ground. 15,000 spectators raged.”
Da brother Martin is ÖJV Presidentt and EJU Secretary General. Zädoes he stand by your critics?
Handle: “He was a competitive judoka himself for many years and knows what he’s talking about. Fortunately, he doesn’t usually have much time to watch the fights in peace.”
