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- If you love it, you will give it all you've got｜Interview with Shieh Shu-Fei, Taiwan’s First Female International Wheelchair Basketball Referee
If you love it, you will give it all you've got｜Interview with Shieh Shu-Fei, Taiwan’s First Female International Wheelchair Basketball Referee
Wheelchair basketball is an official sport in the Paralympic Games. In international competitions, any player with a physical disability certificate or equivalent documentation (specifically for limb impairments, regardless of severity or location) is eligible to compete.In Taiwan, participation in wheelchair basketball remains limited, and as a result, there is a shortage of professional referees. Despite this, one outstanding figure has emerged—Hsieh Shu-Fei, not only the first female referee supervisor for wheelchair basketball in Asia, but also the youngest in the world to ever hold that position.UNI-MAGAZINEUNI-MAGAZINE sat down with Shu-Fei to trace her unique journey to international prominence and share the passion and dedication behind her success.
Shu-Fei has been passionate about sports since childhood, participating in teams such as tchoukball, track and field, and tug-of-war. In2004, she even represented Taiwan at the Tug-of-War World Championships in Scotland. After high school, she enrolled in the Department of Physical Education at National Taiwan Normal University, where she first encountered the profession of basketball refereeing. What began as a curiosity quickly turned into a calling.
While most of her peers pursued teaching careers, Shu-Fei was drawn to refereeing for its high-pressure, fast-paced environment—an exciting, challenging field that also allowed her to teach and share her knowledge. She decided to fully dedicate herself to learning and refining the art of officiating..
Because Taiwan rarely hosts high-level wheelchair basketball games, and domestic games are less intense than international ones, preparing locally for major tournaments was nearly impossible.
Referees for the Paralympics are usually selected based on their performance at the World Championships. In2014, due to her limited exposure to high-intensity matches, Shu-Fei struggled with consistency and missed out on selection for the2016Rio Paralympics. An essential gateway to the2020Tokyo Olympics, participating in the2018World Championships is important. Two weeks before the event,2Shu-Fei flew to the Netherlands and Germany at her own expense to officiate in a series of practice matches hosted by top European wheelchair basketball teams. Over the course of two weeks, she officiated17high-intensity games—more than her entire tally from the previous two years combined. Her improved performance at the World Championships secured her nomination for2020Tokyo Olympics.
While in Europe, she caught the attention of a German national team coach who had never seen an East Asian referee at a training match. After hearing her story, the coach said with admiration, “If players train this hard, referees should be training just as hard!”
(Traveled to Europe at her own expense to participate in a practice match enforcement. Photo courtesy of Hshieh Shu-Fei)
Shu-Fei’s love for the game has propelled her meteoric rise in the international scene. In
, she first began refereeing wheelchair basketball. By2010, she was officiating at the Asian Para Games in Guangzhou. In2012, she was appointed by the International Wheelchair Basketball Federation (IWBF) to officiate at the London Paralympics.
(2012She was then assigned as a wheelchair basketball referee at the London. Photo courtesy of Hsieh Shu-Fei)
Shu-Fei loves to share and teach, has been a teacher since the beginning of her career. Since2019, Shu-Fei has served as areferee supervisor, the international body’s term for a referee, instructor, and evaluator. In this role, she observes and assesses referees during international competitions, compiles footage for review, provides feedback, and submits performance evaluations that directly affect referee appointments for future events.
Out of24global referee supervisors, Shu-Fei is not only the first female supervisor from the Asia-Pacific region, but also the youngest in history.
(2018First time as a referee instructor in a major international tournament at the Asian Games in Jakarta. Photo courtesy of Hsieh Shu-Fei)
Among her many unforgettable moments, Shu-Fei recalls a tense2018international tournament in Dubai where Morocco and Turkey—two relatively unknown teams—went head-to-head in a tight overtime match. After the game, tensions boiled over: a Turkish player taunted a Moroccan player, sparking a physical altercation. Shu-Fei was the first to spot the conflict. Without hesitation, she rushed in and pushed the players apart, effectively defusing the situation. But she later admitted the move was extremely risky—had she failed to separate them, the force from their wheelchairs could have easily fractured a leg.
Reflecting on the moment, Shu-Fei attributed her quick reflexes to years of court experience: “I’m just very attuned to player behavior. Maybe that’s why I could react so quickly.” She added with a smile, “Who says wheelchair basketball isn’t physical? The intensity is real!”
(The Dubai International Wheelchair Basketball Championships is a warm-up for Ms. Hsieh as she prepares for a major international tournament. Photo courtesy of Ms. Hsieh)
UNI-MAGAZINEWe asked Shu-Fei what qualities are essential to becoming a top referee. Her answer was succinct and powerful: “Mental strength, observation, stress resistance, and interpersonal skills.”
Above all, mental toughness is key. Referees must make accurate calls under extreme pressure while constantly evaluating the game. It takes resilience to endure setbacks and a strong mindset to stay sharp and improve.
Communication is equally important. Whether it’s collaboration between referees on the court or maintaining positive relationships off the court, people skills can make or break a referee’s career.
(Refereeing requires a lot of communication! Photo courtesy of Hsieh Shu-Fei.)
In closing, Shu-Fei emphasized a critical message: “People often look at wheelchair basketball with a sense of pity. But it’s just a different kind of sport—it doesn’t need to be viewed through a lens of sympathy.” She shared an example: in wheelchair basketball, if a player falls, referees are prohibited from assisting. Instead, teammates are expected to help, and only if that fails can a coach or staff member step in. However, uninformed spectators often criticize referees for “not helping,” misunderstanding the rules and intentions.
It’s this kind of misconception that Shu-Fei hopes to change. In addition to continually honing her own skills, she’s passionate about nurturing the next generation of wheelchair basketball referees. “Anyone interested is welcome to reach out. If you’re truly willing to learn, I’m happy to pass on everything I know,” she said, smiling warmly.
Shu-Fei has been passionate about sports since childhood, participating in teams such as tchoukball, track and field, and tug-of-war. In2004, she even represented Taiwan at the Tug-of-War World Championships in Scotland. After high school, she enrolled in the Department of Physical Education at National Taiwan Normal University, where she first encountered the profession of basketball refereeing. What began as a curiosity quickly turned into a calling.
While most of her peers pursued teaching careers, Shu-Fei was drawn to refereeing for its high-pressure, fast-paced environment—an exciting, challenging field that also allowed her to teach and share her knowledge. She decided to fully dedicate herself to learning and refining the art of officiating..
(Currently a professional wheelchair basketball referee, and a former member of our national tug-of-war team. Photo courtesy of Hsieh Shu-Fei)
“The organizers told me I’d be assigned to officiate 3 out of 5 days." I simply replied, "Thank you! I’ll be there all 5 days!”Because Taiwan rarely hosts high-level wheelchair basketball games, and domestic games are less intense than international ones, preparing locally for major tournaments was nearly impossible.
Referees for the Paralympics are usually selected based on their performance at the World Championships. In2014, due to her limited exposure to high-intensity matches, Shu-Fei struggled with consistency and missed out on selection for the2016Rio Paralympics. An essential gateway to the2020Tokyo Olympics, participating in the2018World Championships is important. Two weeks before the event,2Shu-Fei flew to the Netherlands and Germany at her own expense to officiate in a series of practice matches hosted by top European wheelchair basketball teams. Over the course of two weeks, she officiated17high-intensity games—more than her entire tally from the previous two years combined. Her improved performance at the World Championships secured her nomination for2020Tokyo Olympics.
While in Europe, she caught the attention of a German national team coach who had never seen an East Asian referee at a training match. After hearing her story, the coach said with admiration, “If players train this hard, referees should be training just as hard!”
(Traveled to Europe at her own expense to participate in a practice match enforcement. Photo courtesy of Hshieh Shu-Fei)
Shu-Fei’s love for the game has propelled her meteoric rise in the international scene. In
, she first began refereeing wheelchair basketball. By2010, she was officiating at the Asian Para Games in Guangzhou. In2012, she was appointed by the International Wheelchair Basketball Federation (IWBF) to officiate at the London Paralympics.
(2012She was then assigned as a wheelchair basketball referee at the London. Photo courtesy of Hsieh Shu-Fei)Shu-Fei loves to share and teach, has been a teacher since the beginning of her career. Since2019, Shu-Fei has served as areferee supervisor, the international body’s term for a referee, instructor, and evaluator. In this role, she observes and assesses referees during international competitions, compiles footage for review, provides feedback, and submits performance evaluations that directly affect referee appointments for future events.
Out of24global referee supervisors, Shu-Fei is not only the first female supervisor from the Asia-Pacific region, but also the youngest in history.
(2018First time as a referee instructor in a major international tournament at the Asian Games in Jakarta. Photo courtesy of Hsieh Shu-Fei)
Among her many unforgettable moments, Shu-Fei recalls a tense2018international tournament in Dubai where Morocco and Turkey—two relatively unknown teams—went head-to-head in a tight overtime match. After the game, tensions boiled over: a Turkish player taunted a Moroccan player, sparking a physical altercation. Shu-Fei was the first to spot the conflict. Without hesitation, she rushed in and pushed the players apart, effectively defusing the situation. But she later admitted the move was extremely risky—had she failed to separate them, the force from their wheelchairs could have easily fractured a leg.
Reflecting on the moment, Shu-Fei attributed her quick reflexes to years of court experience: “I’m just very attuned to player behavior. Maybe that’s why I could react so quickly.” She added with a smile, “Who says wheelchair basketball isn’t physical? The intensity is real!”
(The Dubai International Wheelchair Basketball Championships is a warm-up for Ms. Hsieh as she prepares for a major international tournament. Photo courtesy of Ms. Hsieh)
UNI-MAGAZINEWe asked Shu-Fei what qualities are essential to becoming a top referee. Her answer was succinct and powerful: “Mental strength, observation, stress resistance, and interpersonal skills.”
Above all, mental toughness is key. Referees must make accurate calls under extreme pressure while constantly evaluating the game. It takes resilience to endure setbacks and a strong mindset to stay sharp and improve.
Communication is equally important. Whether it’s collaboration between referees on the court or maintaining positive relationships off the court, people skills can make or break a referee’s career.
(Refereeing requires a lot of communication! Photo courtesy of Hsieh Shu-Fei.)
In closing, Shu-Fei emphasized a critical message: “People often look at wheelchair basketball with a sense of pity. But it’s just a different kind of sport—it doesn’t need to be viewed through a lens of sympathy.” She shared an example: in wheelchair basketball, if a player falls, referees are prohibited from assisting. Instead, teammates are expected to help, and only if that fails can a coach or staff member step in. However, uninformed spectators often criticize referees for “not helping,” misunderstanding the rules and intentions.
It’s this kind of misconception that Shu-Fei hopes to change. In addition to continually honing her own skills, she’s passionate about nurturing the next generation of wheelchair basketball referees. “Anyone interested is welcome to reach out. If you’re truly willing to learn, I’m happy to pass on everything I know,” she said, smiling warmly.
And when asked why she’s given so much to the sport, her answer was as honest as it was heartfelt, “Because I love it.”
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