After three weeks in France officiating at a major youth football tournament in Paris, teenager William Quartermain has returned to Ballarat with a top award.
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Quartermain was named best referee talent at the Paris World Games this month.
The achievement was all the more remarkable with the Year 10 Ballarat Clarendon College student the youngest out of 135 referees selected worldwide – there were only two other Australians to make the cut.
Quartermain described the experience as truly incredible and was blown away by the standard of football on display.
“Some of the kids over there people will probably see in the next 10 years as international stars, from countries such as Zimbabwe, Brazil, Mexico, and the skill level compared to Australia was just unbelievable,” he said.
“The games were fast-paced, the skill level was the best I’ve seen and it has just made me want to go back.”
Quartermain said with top quality referees around the world, the industry at an international level was difficult to crack.
But he hoped his achievement would mean he was now a future prospect for international football.
Overall there were three referee awards – best talent, best referee and best assistant referee. Quartermain was judged on a ranking system and how he conducted himself on and off the field.
“It just consolidates how far I can take this now with refereeing,” Quartermain said.
“It’s not just Australia, you can explore the world and go wherever you want. There is always a competition, there is always a game somewhere in the world.”
Quartermain said he had not expected the award when he attended the closing presentation, but it was a special moment to bring it back home and show his family.
