Eight umpires will form Group 17 of the Umpire Development Programme which has been selected by the EuroHockey Officials committee and will run for two years between 2025 and 2026.
The UDP programme will run over a two-year period with two seminars each year with the content tailored to the individual and group needs. On top of this, each participant will also be guaranteed to be appointed to a EuroHockey tournament each year.
“It is very encouraging for EuroHockey to see that there are so many young umpires in Europe who are looking to learn, improve and further their umpiring careers,” said Magda Nazaret, Chair of the EuroHockey Officials Committee.
The UDP offers a blended learning course combining online and face-to-face workshops. It is aimed at highly talented young umpires who show the potential to become international top-level umpires.
Mentors Fanneke Alkemade (NED) and Grégory Maya-Perez (FRA) will guide the group through their journey with the latter saying: “I’m excited to be part of this great program and help young talents develop and grow. I’m looking forward to working with Fanneke and this group of very promising umpires”
Umpire Development Programme Group 17
| Name | Nation |
| Thalia Bellemans | Belgium |
| Manouk Bakker | Netherlands |
| Maya Antia-Frese | Germany |
| Una Mihajlovic | Croatia |
| Oli Brown | Ireland |
| Sam Church | England |
| Jesús Medinilla | Spain |
| Aidan Hankins | Switzerland |
