Qatar’s Taleb al-Marri has vowed to uphold Qatar’s esteem on the global stage when he takes the field as an assistant referee during this summer's FIFA World Cup in Russia. 
Al-Marri was chosen by FIFA on Thursday as one of the 99 officials who will be on duty during football’s quadrennial showpiece, the most-watched sporting event in the world. 
This is the first time a referee from Qatar has been chosen for the prestigious event. 
“To be the first Qatari chosen for the FIFA World Cup is a great honour and I thank the wise leadership of His Highness the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani,” al-Marri said on Thursday. 
“I will strive to perform to the best of my abilities and uphold the values of sport which Qatar strongly advocates and cherishes. I was confident that I would be selected but there is tough competition for these slots and you could never be too sure.” 
Al-Marri, who left for Oman on Thursday to officiate in a Sultan Qaboos Cup semi-final match, said his selection has placed a great “responsibility” on his shoulders.
“I know exactly the scale of the responsibility I have been given. This is not an easy task but I will seek to prove myself on the global stage. My selection also proves that the Qatar Football Association’s referee programme is world class."
Earlier, al-Marri featured as an assistant referee during the FIFA World Club Cup held in Osaka in 2016. 
Thirty-six referees and 63 assistant referees have been selected for duty in Russia, the 99 match officials representing 46 countries. 
They were picked after a three-year programme, including preparatory seminars and "based on each referee's skills and personality, as well as his level of understanding of football and ability to read both the game and the various tactics employed by teams." 
Ten referees and 20 assistant referees are from Europe but for the first time since 1938 there is no World Cup referee from Britain.
The United States is represented by two referees, Mark Geiger and Jair Marrufo, and Uzbekistan's Ravshan Irmatov will be officiating at a third World Cup. 
The Video Assistant Referees (VAR) will be picked after a seminar in Italy in April, with the technology making its debut at the June 14-July 15 tournament.
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