Badminton referee is ace

Rubbing shoulders with royals is just part of the job for Australia’s only international badminton referee.

Yogen Bhatnagar is Australia's only international badminton referee. Pictures: Peter Kelly

• More than 600 riders in BMX open
• Eels visit fans at Baulkham Hills
• Praise for pitch-perfect performance

Rubbing shoulders with royals and training officials for the Olympic Games was all just part of the job for Australia’s only international badminton referee.

Yogen Bhatnagar, of Cherrybrook, played badminton for India as a young man and took up umpiring the sport soon after he migrated to Australia in 1989.

His officiating career progressed as he moved up the ranks to national, Oceania and international umpire and his varied work included training 80 line judges for the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games.

Yogen Bhatnagar at his home in Cherrybrook.

“I continued to be an international umpire until 2012 and during that time I did about 50 international tournaments as an umpire,” Bhatnagar said.

In 2012, he was invited by the Badminton World Federation to be assessed to become an international referee, the most senior technical official position in the sport.

The assessment took two years to complete and included a written exam and a practical component.

“As a referee you have to do everything, including setting up of the venue,” Bhatnagar said.

He described the role as a “project management” style position.

“The referee is the first person to arrive in the hall around 5am or 6am and the last person to leave,” he said.

“You have to make sure everything (is ready) before the play starts and after the play has ended, and for the next day.”

As the only international referee in Australia — following the retirement of a Perth referee last year — Bhatnagar has been in high demand.

Bhatnagar cites the 2016 Scottish Open as one of his favourite tournaments, where he attended a special dinner with Prince Andrew, Duke of York.

“That was very nice,” he said.

His next big tournament will be the Indian Open Super Series, one of 12 super series competitions held across the world, which begins in New Delhi on March 26.

Bhatnagar said while being a referee could be challenging, his passion for the sport has kept him motivated.

“I love badminton,” he said.

“ ... What you gain out of these tournaments, spending your own money and time, it’s not quantifiable.”