She became part of the officials after responding to an invitation to apply to officiate at the tournament that ended on Saturday. The outcome of the results marks a significant step in her journey towards achieving the blue badge, which is an advanced level of certification for international umpires. Nthaga is currently a white badge umpire, which is the basic level. Nthaga told SportMonitor from Linz that her achievement was a long-term goal that she set in 2023, with the intention of attending international tournaments to gain experience. She said the advanced rules examination needs someone to have been experienced in umpiring at international competitions.
“The examination focuses on rules and situational questions, which I believe are easier to handle when you have prior experience. Once I had the opportunity to travel to Linz, I began studying during the festive season, dedicating a few hours a day to preparation while also attending online classes. When people were having fun, I was busy. Absolutely, I was expecting to pass because I had prepared for it and it was my personal goal set two years ago. I was deliberate about attending international tournaments even though I had an opportunity to sit for this examination last year, my goal was 2025,” Nthaga said.
