Old Edwardian Society (Old Eds) water polo coach, Gus Pinker, has been selected to officiate at the Rio Olympic Games.
This will be the fourth Olympics he will officiate at having done so in 2004 in Athens, Beijing in 2008 and London in 2012.
Pinker who is a former Brakpan and Queenspark water polo team member became coach of the Old Eds water polo club in 2009.
“This is a huge honour for Gus as well as the Society and it underlines the esteem and standing he is held worldwide in the sport,” said Mike Dunk, Old Eds communications officer. “The Society not only congratulates him on this honour but wishes him every success in Rio.”
Pinker has also officiated at five junior and senior world championships travelling to Barcelona, Melbourne, Rome, Shanghai and Kazan. He has also officiated at the Commonwealth Games in Manchester, Perth and Aberdeen, and at three world league finals.
He has refereed finals at the Manchester and Perth Commonwealth Games which he said was the highlight of his career along with the 7th place match at the Beijing Olympics and two quarterfinal matches at the London Olympics.
He was appointed to the technical committee of Fina, the international controlling body for water polo, in 2013 to become the first South African to hold such a position.
