2023 AFC Asian Cup in Qatar will be grand success like FIFA World Cup: AFC President

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) President Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim al-Khalifah is confident that the 2023 AFC Asian Cup, which will be held in Qatar in January next year, will be one of the most successful tournaments similar to the exceptional success of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.
Speaking to QNA, during the 7th AFC Medical Conference in Doha, Sheikh Salman said that it was an easy choice to pick Qatar as the hosts of Asian Cup 2023, adding that the success achieved by Qatar in organising the World Cup is unparalleled. He pointed out that he attended many previous World Cup editions and the 2022 edition was exceptional and one of the most successful World Cup tournaments, wishing that the Asian Cup will be one of the most successful Asian tournaments.
The AFC President also praised the success of during the 7th AFC Medical Conference, which was held in Doha for three days and concluded on Monday in the presence of about 600 participants.
The AFC President said that the conference was a success on all levels and thanked Aspetar Hospital for hosting this event, as all participants benefited a lot from the speakers at the conference and the participation was very positive, pointing out that the medical aspect of sports and football in particular has a major role in developing the game.
Sheikh Salman appreciated the pioneering role of Aspetar Hospital, saying that Aspetar is a project that started a few years ago, but it plays a major role not only at the local level. He expressed hope that the hospital will have an effective role in the Asian continent and benefit from its experience in the field of sports injuries and sports medicine.
He thanked the Qatar Football Association and Aspetar Hospital for the great and successful effort it made to organise the 7th AFC Medical Conference, wishing that cooperation between the AFC and the hospital would be strengthened and developed in the future.
Earlier, the Continent’s top team doctors and physiotherapists were celebrated and awarded for their immense contributions towards advancing the game at the third edition of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Medical Awards on Sunday.
Held in conjunction with the 7th AFC Medical Conference in Qatar’s capital, the awards recognise the outstanding and inspiring roles these medical professionals play in ensuring players perform at their peak and receive the best possible care.
Dr. Mohamed Razi from the Islamic Republic of Iran received the prestigious AFC Football Medicine Merit Award during the ceremony while compatriot Dr Bahar Hassanmirzaei and Dr Masashi Nagao of Japan were both conferred the AFC Young Medical Officer Award.
Dr Bhisith Viseshakul of Thailand, who passed away in 1998, was bestowed the Posthumous Award.
The AFC Distinguished Service Awards in the Gold, Silver and Bronze categories were bestowed on 32 other professionals for their long-term performance in their respective professions.
The 7th AFC Conference was hosted by the AFC, the Aspetar Orthopaedic & Sports Medicine Hospital and the Qatar Football Association. Themed “Football and Sports Medicine – Celebrating Diversity”, it brought together renowned sports medicine and science professionals to empower participants with the knowledge on managing football-related medical situations.