Lorna Halley becomes BEC Certified umpire

Lorna Halley has become the latest Scottish Technical Official to attain the status of BEC Certified Umpire.

Halley has become one of Scotland’s most established and respected umpires over recent years.

Initially gaining experience officiating as a linejudge at numerous events throughout the country, she quickly progressed to umpiring regional and national events in Scotland before making her debut at an international event at the Scottish Open Grand Prix in 2013.

That allowed Halley to do the Welsh International in 2013 and since then she has officiated at numerous events throughout Europe, including countries such as Finland, Russia, Czech Republic, Netherlands, Slovenia, Germany, England, Poland and Italy.

Her latest major event was the Scottish Open, held at the Emirates Arena in November, and it was there that she underwent her assessment.

“I am very happy to have passed the BEC assessment,” she said. “I have put a lot of time and effort into volunteering with Badminton Scotland over the last seven years and I am very pleased this has paid off.

“I really enjoy umpiring as it is a way to watch top level badminton and see some amazing cities in Europe at the same time. I think it is really good in Scotland that we have very experienced umpires at our events as it allows the junior players to experience having an umpire before they go to international events.

“I also hope my achievement can encourage other into giving up their time and volunteering for a worthwhile cause. It would be great to have more umpires in Scotland.”

For more information on how to become involved in umpiring or linejudging, contact Marisa Baird by emailing notrochmain@aol.com