Aspetar, the orthopaedic and sports medicine hospital in Qatar, has honoured its medical staff involved in the safe resumption of sports competitions during the Covid-19 pandemic.
A virtual ceremony was held in this regard recently, which saw the participation of Qatar Football Association and Qatar Stars League (QSL).
The ceremony was held at Aspetar and attended by Mansoor al-Ansari, secretary-general of QFA; Hani Taleb Ballan, CEO of QSL; and Dr Abdulaziz Jaham al-Kuwari, CEO of Aspetar, as well as a number of Aspetar officials and medical practitioners who contributed to the success.
After welcoming the attendees, Dr al-Kuwari said in his opening speech: "We are proud of the services provided by Aspetar to Qatari football and all sports in general. We are here standing together today to celebrate our contribution to fight against the Covid-19 pandemic. We really express our sincere appreciation to you, you were on the frontline to support our athletes and to ensure safe return to play. Thank you and we really appreciated your efforts.
"I would like also to thank our partners Hamad Medical Corporation, healthcare practitioners and Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) for their contribution and continued support. I would like to express a special thanks for QSL and QFA for their trust in and support for Aspetar."
Al-Ansari said, “I would like to thank Aspetar for this special day. It’s really required that we showcase our appreciation for everyone who has played a role in delivering all the amazing events that we have had over the previous seven months. The football family of Qatar is what makes us unique on the global platform. We have a very strong hybrid formula that only us in the Qatar football/sporting family understand."
Referring to the hosting of the FIFA Club World Cup and other key events, he added: "This achievement is all thanks to the great unity and collaboration between our stakeholders, in particular the Aspetar management and every single person at Aspetar.”
In a statement, Aspetar stressed that it continues to support the safe conduct of professional football during the pandemic through clinical guidelines and pathways, and by conducting regular Covid-19 tests for all QSL players and staff to limit the risk of spread of infection and reduce health problems associated with the pandemic in sports, and in the community as a whole.
The CEO of Qatar Stars League added: “What we’ve achieved together in the past two years is enormous and the key is that we haven’t just tried our best, but our decisions were right, and we took the right approach as well. We want everyone to be proud of what has been done compared to what we’ve faced. Everyone who has contributed towards the success of reviving a sporting life should be proud of it.
“I would like to thank Aspetar employees and officials for their professionalism and passion. The commitment shown, and sacrifices made, through our partners have really made a significant change. It’s a day to acknowledge their efforts."
In May 2020, Aspetar issued a set of guidelines for returning to sports, which has been considered a glimmer of hope for many professional athletes and sports enthusiasts after all sports activities in the world were suspended for more than two months. The Aspetar protocol included updated guidelines and pathways for a safe return to sports training and competition.
In collaboration with its partners at the MoPH, the protocol has been applied since last June in most sports activities in the country, and these sports guidelines are considered a reference for healthcare practitioners in clubs and various sports disciplines in Qatar.
