Chandigarh:The 3rd National Gatka Refresher Course commenced on Friday at Gurdwara Babe Ke, Chandigarh, bringing together technical officials from several states for a three-day capacity-building programme aimed at standardising officiating practices across the country.

The course features theory sessions, practical demonstrations and evaluations focused on competition planning, scoring norms, foul assessment, tournament discipline and field-of-play management. Participants also undertook on-ground exercises to sharpen decision-making skills during bouts.

Addressing the inaugural session, World Gatka Federation (WGF) president Advocate Harjeet Singh Grewal announced a key addition to the sport’s disciplinary framework. Grewal, who also serves as president of the National Gatka Association of India (NGAI), said the WGF has introduced a ‘Black Card’ as a fourth foul-category card in the international Gatka rulebook.

“This measure reinforces the dignity of technical officials and ensures the smooth conduct of bouts by maintaining discipline among players during competitions. The Black Card will be invoked in cases of unruly, indisciplined, unwanted or unholy behaviour,” he said.

Sukhchain Singh Kalsani, Vice-Chairman of the International Sikh Martial Art Council, underlined the importance of continuous capacity-building to uphold fairness and integrity in competitive Gatka. Hardeep Singh Butrela, President of the Gatka Association of Chandigarh and Municipal Councillor, said structured refresher courses help sharpen officials’ proficiency while preserving uniformity in a rapidly developing sport.

Offering a global outlook, Phool Raj Singh, Chairman of the International Affairs Directorate, outlined plans to accelerate Gatka’s international growth. He said national Gatka federations would soon be constituted in multiple countries, accompanied by enhanced training programmes for referees and judges overseas. The coming years, he added, would also see more international-level tournaments to strengthen Gatka’s presence on the world sports stage.

The refresher course will continue over the weekend with specialised workshops, mock bouts and assessments designed to prepare certified officials for national and international assignments.

Those present on the occasion included Harjinder Kumar, General Secretary, National Gatka Association; Baljit Singh Saini, Joint Secretary, Gatka Association of Punjab; National Coordinator Harsimran Singh; State Coordinator Sherry Singh; senior referee Narinderpal Singh; Narinderpal Singh, Joint Secretary, Haryanvi Gatka Association; and Shiv Kumar.