Kuala Lumpur, Nov 20 (IANS) Indian Woman assistant referee Uvena Fernandes was on Sunday awarded the Asian Football Confederation's (AFC) Referees Special Award at a function here.
Uvena, who was the first Indian assistant referee to officiate in any FIFA World Cup, received the award from Deputy Chairman of AFC referees committee Hani Balan, for her outstanding supervision of the final of the U-17 Women's World Cup in Jordan, according to a release.
Congratulating Uvena on her achievement, All India Football Federation (AIFF) President Praful Patel said she "makes us proud".
"Congratulations to Uvena Fernandes on being conferred with the #AFC Referees Special Award in #Malaysia. She makes us proud," Patel wrote on his official twitter Account.
AIFF General Secretary Kushal Das said it was a "very special moment for refereeing in India".
"I wish her all the best for the future and expect her to scale more glory and officiate in the Women's World Cup in the near future. She is a role model and has set the bench-mark for refereeing in India," he told www.the-aiff.com.
