Applications open – Partille World Cup is looking for referees this summer

Every summer, thousands of players and team officials from all over the world come to Gothenburg to take part in the world’s largest youth handball tournament. – Referees are absolutely essential to Partille World Cup, says Martin Laanemets, Tournament Director.

Interest in refereeing at the tournament has grown steadily in recent years. Ahead of last year’s event, a dedicated referee school was introduced – an initiative that will be further developed this year. As a referee at Partille World Cup, participants get the chance to grow in their role, gain international experience and be part of a global community built on togetherness and high-level handball, both on and off the court.
– Last year, the referee school was a great success, and this year we are investing even more in education, guidance and the soft values that are important during an intense tournament week. We want to create the best possible conditions for both new and experienced referees. Without their commitment and skills, it would not be possible to run the tournament at the level we aim for, says Martin Laanemets.

Ahead of Partille World Cup 2026, a new referee organisation is also being introduced. Eldin Bitic and Alice Watson will take on roles as project managers for the referee programme. Watson is a Swedish elite referee and took part in the referee school last summer, while Bitic is a national referee who had overall responsibility for the education programme.
– It is very exciting to strengthen our organisation with new expertise. The experience that Alice and Eldin bring will contribute to both quality and development, and give our referees even better conditions, says Martin Laanemets.

They will be supported by national referees Jonathan Lindoff, Emrik Svenson and Jonathan Hummelgård.

More information about the referee role can be found here.