"It's a new role. After being an athlete, I became a referee and now a supervisor. It's a logical continuation in a way. It's a challenge, but I'm ready to take it on," explains Matthieu Bataille.
Matthieu, 46, ended his sports career in 2014 to become a referee in 2017, as part of a programme set up by IJF President Marius Vizer to help former top athletes make the leap. "For me, it was a way to stay in top-level sport. When I was an athlete, I didn't think about refereeing, but it became a must and I'm very happy to have made the transition. I started refereeing at grand prix level and then at grand slams, major championships and finally the Games in Tokyo and Paris."
Mariano Dos Santos has spent his life in judo, "I started refereeing at a local level in Brazil in 1989, then at the national level in 1995. In 2010 I became an international referee. In 2013, I refereed for the first time on the world circuit in Abu Dhabi. At the Rio 2016 Games I was a camera assistant for the commission and in Tokyo and Paris I was on the tatami."
Matthieu and Mariano therefore have a great deal of experience in judo and refereeing and this is what influenced the commission to integrate them into the team of supervisors. "We are happy and proud that world-class referees can continue to serve our sport and move from the role of referee to that of supervisor. This is another very important dimension of refereeing. Changing sides is a challenge but we have full confidence in their ability to do the job. Their knowledge of judo, their skills and their abilities are guarantees that their work will continue to be of a very high level," explained Florin Daniel Lascau and Armen Bagdasarov, the two Head Referee Directors present in Zagreb.
"You know, being a referee is very difficult. We have to work against the clock and make instant decisions, decisions that can change the lives of athletes. But we know the techniques, we know the rules and we know how to apply them,” specifies Mariano, whose dream is to be able to help internationally but also at the level of his continent to ensure that the level of refereeing rises.
For Matthieu, "Without a referee, there is no possible competition and the referees must also be of a high level, just like the athletes. It is not easy, we must make the right decisions and at the right time. We are here to do a good job for our sport and I like doing that. I like being able to contribute to the development of judo. For me, really, the hardest thing was to stay in the centre of the tatami but to swap the judogi for the referee's uniform. It is not insignificant. Today, becoming a supervisor, even if that was a surprise, is kind of logical and it is recognition from my peers."
Mariano, like Matthieu, is above all passionate, "My life is judo. I am on the tatami every day at home in Brazil. I am above all a judo teacher. Whether with young people or veterans and with my colleagues and friends who are referees, I want to share my passion for the sport and its magnificent philosophy. Throughout my career as a referee, I have waited for this moment when I can contribute in a different way and bring all my experience," adds Mariano, before explaining that he is still competing as a veteran as well.
The two men will therefore no longer be at the centre of the tatami but seated with the refereeing commission to assist their colleagues. "You have to understand that when you sit at the table, you have a different vision of the fights, a different angle. That's normal. The video is a valuable aid that helps us make the right choices. We really want to establish close co-operation between the referees on the one hand and the directors and supervisors on the other. It's this co-operation that helps us make the right choices. The fact that we now know all the facets of the profession is a major asset," says Matthieu.
"We are a big family and like in all families, everyone has a different role. But these roles complement each other perfectly. I think that our practical experience on the tatami is very important for everyone. Matthieu, like me, is ready to share all this. This allows me to underline all my gratitude to the referee directors who chose us and of course President Vizer for his vision of the development of judo. This notion of family is crucial, it is what holds us together. Moreover, I would like to dedicate my nomination to my parents, unfortunately deceased. Wherever they look at me, I know that they are very proud of me today."
If Mariano Dos Santos has always dreamed of climbing the ladder of refereeing, while Matthieu Bataille first had a high-level sports career that took him to the world podia, they met on the other side of the mirror with the desire to develop judo so that it remains the dynamic, lively and modern sport that we know. Now referee supervisors, they will continue to contribute to the development of our sport. Thank you to them for everything they have already brought to judo and good luck in their new mission.