5th AFC Medical Conference kicks off in New Delhi

NEW DELHI: Barely 24 hours after the creme-de-la-crème of the Asian Footballing World convened for a glittering night of AFC Awards 2015 in Kingdom Of Dreams, Gurgaon, the 5th Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Medical Conference kicked off in the Capital in association with the All India Football Federation (AIFF) on November 30, 2015.

A host of dignitaries including AFC President, Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al-Khalifa; AIFF President Mr.Praful Patel; Prof Jiri Dvorak, Chief Medical Officer, FIFA, also Chairman FIFA Medical Assessment and Research Centre, FIFA; Dato Dr. Gurcharan Singh, Chairman AFC Medical Committee, also the Chairman of the Scientific Committee; Dato Windsor John, General Secretary, AFC and Mr. Kushal Das, General Secretary, AIFF were present for the occasion.

AIFF President Mr. Praful Patel dubbed the Conference as an integral development to the Sporting World. “We have new technologies coming out in the field of Sports Science everyday and Conference such as this helps the participants to get in sync with the modern trends,” he stated.

“Football attracts attention the most and this Conference will send out a strong message that we need to take Sports Medicine and Science seriously as we have to insure that the Players get the best Medical assistance possible right from Physiotherapists to Doctors,” he maintained.

“India is one of the most dynamic countries in the Asian Footballing World and that is why we convened the Conference here”, said AFC President, Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al-Khalifa.

“Demands of a high level competitive Football has had an impact on the Players, both on and off the pitch, and hence it is vital to continue research in Sports Science to enhance their (the Footballer’) performance” Sheikh Salman added.

The 5th AFC Medical Conference which is being held for the first time in South and Central Asia and the first time in India aims to achieve Football excellence through evidence based Sports Science and Medicine.

“It is indeed an honor for India and the All India Football Federation (AIFF) to host the 5th AFC Medical Conference for the first time,” the AIFF President quipped.

“The Conference will not only do justice for the continent in the Footballing World, but as a host Nation it will give us that little bit of knowledge that will help our sports persons grow. Not only that, the Conference will also be not only beneficial to Indian Football but sports in India in general,” Mr.Patel added.

Thanking the Asian Football Confederation for their support to Indian Football, Mr. Patel said, “This Conference adds to the overall support provided to us by the AFC and I would like to thank the AFC President for his immense support towards Indian Football.”

Stating the advantages of playing Football, Dr. Dvorak explained, “Football is ideal to improve physical and mental fitness and can cure many diseases like diabetes. 45 minutes of Football is the cheapest physical remedy and exercise possible. And the main objective of this Conference is improvement of public health,” he declared.

“Advancement of modern technology and implementation of advanced doctoring skills which will be provided to the Players is another objective of this Conference,” expressed Dato Gurucharan Singh.

In attendance of over 550 participants from across the World Dato Gurucharan Singh informed: “The surge in the number of members participating in the Medical Conference from all across the World is an evidence of the growing popularity of this Conference and we hope to tutor the participants in trends of modern Sports Science and Medicine.”

AIFF Media Team