Jim Unkles - FIH Men's Umpiring Leading Panel appointment

The Camberwell Hockey Club applauds and celebrates the pursuit of excellence on and off the field in this wonderful game of hockey. We applaud and celebrate even more enthusiastically, when those who excel are our very own. From the recent Men’s Junior World Cup, we have seen two remarkable steps taken by two lifetime Camberwell Hockey Club members. Recently we celebrated Liam Henderson’s elevation to the Australian National Development Squad and this week we equally celebrate Jim Unkles elevation to the Men’s FIH Leading Panel for Umpires.

The Leading Panel group of (currently 28) umpires are selected for Men’s Pro League fixtures, as well as the Olympic Games. This is an outstanding achievement and we congratulate Jim on his elevation. Jim’s performance at the recent JWC, along with his previous body of work saw him rated highly and promoted from the level 3 Centre Panel directly in to the Level 5 Leading Panel. The competition for umpiring appointments is tough for world events and the only way to achieve these appointments is to be dedicated and excel at your craft. Jim’s next appointment is Pro League in India February 2024.

It would be interesting to ask Jim if his 2023 highlight is the winning of the MPLR flag (back to back) or the elevation to the FIH Leading Panel? OK, Jim, you can have two highlights this year!

Jim Unkles started his hockey journey at Camberwell and in addition to playing on the field and as a GK, he also took up umpiring as a junior. The journey from umpiring local junior games to seniors to MPL, national and at international events has been a long one. Jim’s dedication to this vital area of our sport now places him in an exciting position, with more opportunities in sight.

We congratulate Jim and wish him every success in 2024.