Qin Liang, a female soccer referee has debuted in a Chinese men's professional soccer league game. (Photo/Chinanews.com)
(ECNS) - A female soccer referee has debuted in a Chinese men's professional soccer league game, refereeing a "focus" match between Beijing Beikong and Hebei HX Xingfu, two soccer clubs based in North China.
Beijing Beikong beat Hebei HX Xingfu 2-1 over the weekend. It was also a win for referee Qin Liang, who successfully completed her first assignment in the 2015 Chinese Football Association China League.
Qin said she is familiar with refereeing men's soccer as she takes to the field on weekends for amateur league contests. Beijing's municipal and district football associations have provided many opportunities for experience, she says.
In June, Qin and two other female referees, Cui Yongmei from the northern city of Tianjin and Fang Yan from Shanghai, will head to Canada for the FIFA Women's World Cup 2015, marking the first time female Chinese referees will be seen at the flagship event.
"I'm looking forward to it and making earnest preparations," Qin said. "It's inevitable that I'm also a little bit nervous, but I'll turn pressure into performance."
Canada will host the FIFA Women's World Cup from June 6 to July 5. Qin said referees must be objective and fair, and that she hopes the Chinese women's team will perform well.
Qin was honored as the best female referee by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) in 2012. She was also a referee at the FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup in Canada in 2014.
