Glasgow 2026: Jamaican netball selector Campbell breaks ground on Commonwealth Games umpire panel

Sylvester 'Chris' Campbell believes his selection to the Umpire Appointment Panel (UAP) for this year's Commonwealth Games can show other Jamaicans who officiate at home that major assignments are within reach. The event will take place in Glasgow, Scotland, running from July 23 to August 2.

Campbell has clocked three decades in netball as both a coach and a technical official. He described the call-up as a proud moment and said he plans to deliver solid work across the championship.

“I have been to two Commonwealth Games as an umpire but this is the first time in this capacity where I am going to be doing the appointments of the umpires for each game. I am looking forward to it because it is going to be a new challenge and new experience for me,” Campbell said.

“Anybody in any sport wants to go to the pinnacle and so this is something that I am definitely looking forward to. With the experience that I have as a coach you understand how to read the game and therefore you know what the umpires are expected to do, so all of it is tied in one so that is what experience is all about.”

Campbell noted that Jamaica had never before placed a man on this panel, which makes the breakthrough more significant, and he wants it to galvanise fellow officials to set their sights high.

“I am the first male to be selected to this capacity, so this should be an inspiration for people behind me and so they should aspire to achieve this goal as well. I hope that I will inspire the next generation who want to get to the top and do the same thing,” he said.

He also spelled out how the UAP operates during the tournament.

“We are responsible for allocating umpires for the games, based on their potential and how they have been performing. The stronger umpires get the stronger games, so I am appointing umpires for the games and giving feedback at the end of each game and coaching them along the journey in this tournament so that is the function of the UAP,” he said.

Though the portfolio carries weight, Campbell stressed that the seat comes without wages, that he does not expect to dip into his own pocket for the trip, and that the experience and exposure on offer still make the duty worth accepting. “There is no pay because the Commonwealth Games is no salary on this panel, but there are no out-of-pocket expenses when you go to these events and so the experience and exposure is what you need and so you just get on the plane and go.”