Agencies/New Delhi
Aspetar – the orthopaedic and Sports medicine hospital –participated in the fifth AFC Medical Conference in New Delhi, India, from November 28 to December 2, 2015.
The conference is considered as one of the world’s leading medical and scientific conferences, attracting more than 600 participants from different sports federations and sports medicine institutions from around the world.
An elite group of experts from around the world participated in the conference, including Qatar, Japan, Sweden, India, the United Kingdom, Iran, Germany, Thailand, Malaysia, Switzerland, and others. The conference allowed Aspetar to share its leading insights, research and studies with this elite group, helping further strengthen the hospital’s position and ties with many sports medicine organisations from around the world.
During a visit to Aspetar’s booth at the conference, where he was welcomed by Aspetar chief administrative officer Mohamed Mubarak al-Kuwari, AFC president Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim al-Khalifa commended the hospital’s role in developing sports medicine. He then praised Aspetar’s contributions to the organisation of the fifth AFC Medical Conference, given its role as a strategic partner of the confederation.
Inaugurated by Sheikh Salman, the conference was held in the Indian capital of New Delhi for three days and featured the participation of more than 600 specialists and experts from 63 countries around the world. In his opening remarks, Sheikh Salman highlighted the confederation’s appreciation of the role of science and medicine in the development of football and athletes, as they represent the foundation of the football world.
On the second day of the conference, Aspetar was awarded an AFC plaque for its efforts in contributing to the success of the conference.
The conference was held under the theme of “Football Excellence through Evidence-based Sports Science and Medicine”, and gave Aspetar’s experts the opportunity to actively contribute to the success of the three-day conference, which attracted hundreds of participants from around the world.
Prior to the conference, Aspetar’s experts also participated in a number of workshops and lectures that were held for physiotherapy specialists at the AFC. The sessions were held over two days, and explored many topics related to sports medicine and anti-doping.
FIFA’s chief medical officer Prof. Jiri Dvorak praised the important role that Aspetar has played in sports medicine and science globally, and specifically in research, referencing several studies that were conducted jointly between Aspetar and FIFA. He indicated that the hospital enriches the sports medicine field in preparation for the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar.
Aspetar’s participation in the conference was not limited to sharing its expertise, but extended to include presenting its latest research and innovations throughout the three days of the conference. This included studies on the effect of heat and humidity on athletic performance, which were based on scientific data and statistics.
Dr. George Nassis and Dr. Olaf Schumacher presented performance data from a recent 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil study that was conducted in collaboration between Aspetar and FIFA. The results showed that top-level players seem to modulate their activity pattern during matches in a hot and humid environment which indicated that, while heat reduces performance, it results in a higher volume of passes. They also presented on measures to battle heat. In particular, practical advice was given on proper heat acclimatisation, hydration and cooling strategies.
For his part, Dr. Pieter D’Hooghe from Aspetar presented a unique medical study that is expected to create a breakthrough in podiatry. Dr. D’Hooghe showcased data from a number of Aspetar studies on metatarsal stress fractures in football, new ankle ligament surgery strategies for the benefit of football players, and typical impingement features in an athlete’s ankle.
Aspetar staff at the AFC Medical Conference in New Delhi, India.
