Margaret Hunnaball – FIH President’s Award

One of the top Umpire Managers in the world, Margaret has taken numerous initiatives for the development of umpiring as well as safeguarding, and is a mentor for young officials.
Her hockey career began as a goalkeeper for Winchester Hockey Club in England. She took up umpiring in Hampshire County before going on to officiate at national and international level. She is one of the top Umpire Managers in the world.
Margaret’s background is academic; she sits on educational boards or trustees, has recently completed a PhD and works in the field of dual-partnership education. This brings a strong focus on correct process and protocol, ensuring a strong base for the projects and initiatives she has led.
Strongly interested in the development of umpiring as well as safeguarding, she has led or implemented several significant initiatives.
As President of Southern Counties Hockey Umpires’ Association (ENG), she presided in amalgamating the men’s and women’s umpiring associations. 2008 saw the first intake of umpires for EHF’s prestigious Umpire Development Programme (UDP), for whom Margaret was one of the mentors.
This strong attention to fairness and correct procedure has led Margaret to important roles on both the EHF Officials Committee since 2012 and the FIH’s Rules Committee.
It is difficult to quantify what Margaret has given to the sport, not just as an umpire and a UM, but also in terms of administration, forward-planning and mentorship of young officials.
The landscape for umpiring has developed much in recent years, overseen by volunteers like Margaret who work with integrity to ensure the correct atmosphere and conditions for the growth and development of our officials.