NEWS

Japanese referee Yuichi Nishimura and assistant referee Toru Sagara have been selected to work at the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.

Nishimura and Sagara will team up with assistant referee Jeong Hae Sang of Korea Republic to work as one of 30 FIFA-appointed trios.
Nishimura, 37, and Sagara, 33, have worked as international officials since 2004 and 2007, respectively.
Nishimura commented: “I earned this appointment thanks to the support I received from many people. I am grateful to them and want to prepare well for the tournament.”
Sagara said, “I would like to continue working hard and get good support in the matches I am assigned.”
Before Nishimura and Sagara, five Japanese officials took part in the previous six World Cups: Yoshiyuki Maruyama as assistant referee in 1970, Shizuo Takada as referee and assistant referee in 1986 and 1990, Masayoshi Okada as referee in 1998, and Toru Kamikawa as referee in 2002. Kamikawa made it again in 2006 along with assistant referee Yoshikazu Hisoshima.