Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Kuala Lumpur: The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Medical Officers ‘Train the Trainers’ Course started in the Malaysian capital on Thursday.
The four-day course saw 63 participants comprising delegates from the AFC Member Associations go through a series of sessions on the theoretical and practical topics relevant to the duties and responsibilities of AFC Medical Officers in AFC tournaments. The course aimed to increase the pool of AFC Medical Officers and update the participants with the latest modern scientific knowledge and researches.
The course was established in 2008, one of its core objectives being to ensure a sport free of doping which will serve to be a key topic in the course. Representatives from AFC, UEFA, Olympic Council of Asia and Anti-Doping Agency of Malaysia will be presenting on the anti-doping subject by analysing case studies and researches.
AFC Medical Committee Chairman and member of the FIFA Medical Committee, Dato’ Dr Gurcharan Singh, who gave the opening remark and will also be presenting on the anti-doping subject, said: “Medical doctors from Asia’s Member Associations (MA) are gathered in this seminar and it is important for us to interact with one another among professionals to exchange our invaluable knowledge and experience.
“The variety of topics in the course program can be implemented back in your respective MAs. The important aspect of the course is to update and inform participants in areas emergency medicine that were not taught in medical schools and update new trends in care of players".
The first day of the course saw Aspetar sports medicine physician Dr Cristiano Eirale share on injuries in football and return to play decisions. Sports Medicine Specialist Dr Ali Kad spoke on his experience as a team doctor for the Chinese football club Shanghai SIPG, as well as national and club teams in Sweden. Dr Saw Khay Yong then presented on the innovation in stem cells research and development.
The curriculum will also include topics on the prevention of injuries, players’ nutrition and care, a practical session on cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and the automated defibrillator (AED), and reviewing the latest scientific research on injuries and medical supplements.
Dr Marc Anthony Castro who was one of the delegates that visited Aspetar Qatar under the AFC President Travelling Fellow last week said: “The course has been insightful as we are kept up-to-date with the latest football medicine knowledge in a very multi-disciplinary holistic approach."
Photo: AFC