News / Sports

Iranian soccer referee Torky hangs up his whistle

Wednesday, 04 January 2017 2:17 PM [ Last Update: Wednesday, 04 January 2017 2:17 PM ]

Iranian soccer referee Mohsen Torky (L)

Iranian soccer referee Mohsen Torky has taken the decision to retire professional officiating career after carrying out official duties at the highest level of Iran’s football league system for roughly two decades.

The 43-year-old announced his retirement during a seminar for Iranian football referees in the Persian Gulf island of Kish on Tuesday evening.

The seminar, which aims to upgrade the referees’ knowledge and test their physical fitness, kicked off at the Kish International Convention Center on January 2 and will wrap up on January 5, 2017. The event has brought together 24 referees and 48 linesmen.

Torky started to officiate in the Persian Gulf Pro League, formerly known as Iran Pro League (IPL), in 2000 and became a Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) listed referee only after three years.

Torky was named an Asian Football Confederation (AFC) elite referee in 2007, and regularly officiated AFC Champions League games as a result.

He holds the record for refereeing Tehran derby, which is a soccer match between Tehran-based professional clubs Esteghlal and Persepolis. Torky has officiated the derby seven times.

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