Volleyball Special: Juraj Mokry making his debut in the FIVB Women’s World Championship 2010
The 2010 FIVB Women’s World Championship in Japan has created a lot of opportunities for players and other related personnel to groom. The stellar performances of players have turned many heads around. Besides players, there are other people who have bigger
responsibilities on their shoulders. In this regard, a referee’s job is of much importance. They play an instrumental role in the game.
The 35-year old Juraj Mokry of Slovakia is the centre of attention for his excellent work as a referee. The Slovakian referee is making his debut in the FIVB Women’s World Championship this year. Juraj Mokry is believed to be the youngest referee at the
2010 FIVB World Championship.
This is his first senior World Championship competition and he has performed his duties in nine matches so far. He was appointed as first referee in one match and as second referee in rest of the matches. It is a big achievement for Mokry to be featured
at this level. He is the second referee from Slovakia having the honour to officiate the international competitions. Vladimir Kovalik was the first Slovakian who refereed at the Seoul Olympics, South Korea in 1988. He was Mokry’s teacher and congratulated
him for taking up it as profession.
Mokry started his career as a player in Slovakia’s junior team. He played as a player until he got a knee injury, which forced him to stop playing. Afterwards, he developed his interest on the other side and he focused on match officiating. Opportunity knocked
at his door as FIVB nominated him as a referee in 2001. It was a jumpstart for his career and he proved his skills. He supervised 2005 FIVB Boys’ Youth World Championship in Algeria. He was also offered the same role at 2007 and 2009 FIVB Men’s Junior World
Championship in Morocco and Italy. Mokry earned a good reputation and kept on moving ahead.
Answering to a question about the tough decisions in the matches, Mokry said that it is difficult to make fast decisions with precision. However, he called it a good learning experience. He shared his thoughts about the experience he gained. Mokry said,
"Don't give up if something goes wrong. Every tournament is like being at school. You have to gain experience and be patient. There are a lot of referees at the same level so patience is the key. Try to do your best every time and show the teams you are
there for them, not to destroy the game."
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