Eight umpires from across the continent have been selected to form Group 18 of the EuroHockey Institute Umpire Development Programme (UDP) who will begin their two-year journey in early 2026.
The programme continues to be one of the organisation’s key programmes in developing future top-level umpires across Europe.
| Name | Nation |
| Dayana Petkova | Bulgaria |
| Max Davidson | England |
| Enzo Saleine | France |
| Hendrik Voelker | Germany |
| Karolis Donculas | Lithuania |
| Marc van Tuijl | Netherlands |
| Emilia Lozano | Spain |
| Yevhen Stupachenko | Ukraine |
Over the next two years, the participants will take part in two in-person seminars each year and receive at least one guaranteed EuroHockey appointment per season.
The 2026 programme will open with a seminar in Barcelona in February, running alongside the Top Hockey Barcelona tournament, before a second gathering later in the year at the EHL KO16.
Group 18 will be mentored by Fred Denuemostier (BEL) and Martin Madden (SCO)—two highly experienced officials who will guide the participants throughout the cycle.
Madden, a three-time Olympic umpire who previously worked with many of the cohort on the U4N and U4E courses, expressed his enthusiasm for what lies ahead for the group:
“I am really excited to be working with this new UDP group. I worked with most of them at U4N & U4E and there are some fantastic prospects there.
“Although the UDP wasn’t around when I was starting out, I’ve seen the value of it and the quality of umpire it develops right to the top level so being part of someone’s journey is an honour.”
