Jamaicans Daneon Parchment and Odette Hamilton will be among the 89 referees from 45 countries chosen by the FIFA Referees Committee to officiate the football tournaments at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. The 89 individuals selected include 21 referees, 42 assistant referees, 20 video match officials, and six support referees. The officials will receive the support of goal-line technology and the VAR system with semi-automated offside technology.

Parchment “overjoyed” to be chosen

Daneon Parchment, who was born in 1981 in Kingston, Jamaica, and heads the physical education department at Cedric Titus High School in Clarks Town, Trelawny, has considerable experience as a referee. He officiated at the inaugural Concacaf Women’s Gold Cup and was a member of the video assistant referees (VAR) panel for the Concacaf Nations League final between the United States and Mexico in Texas recently. Upon hearing of his selection as an Olympic official, Parchment described the news as “overwhelming,” adding that it was “a dream come true.” He believes that his appointment reflects the hard work he has done on the local and global levels. He also officiated at the last four Men’s Gold Cup competitions and the 2021 semi-finals between Mexico and Canada. He has refereed as part of the VAR team for the Women’s Gold Cup final in 2023, the semi-final between Mexico and Canada in 2021, the finals of the Olympic qualifying matches between Mexico and Honduras in 2020, and the 2020 finals of the Concacaf Scotiabank Champions League.

Hamilton honored with appointment

Odette Hamilton was born in St James, Jamaica, in 1979. She is only the second Jamaican woman to be selected as a referee for the Olympics, following the appointment in 2012 of Stacy Ann Greyson, who was the first Jamaican and first woman from the Caribbean to do so. Hamilton will serve as a support referee for the women’s tournament, which will begin on July 25, 2024, and conclude on August 10, 2024.

Photo – CONCACAF