Doha: The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) will welcome the Continent’s top sports science and medical practitioners to the 7th AFC Medical Conference Qatar 2022 which will take place from March 8 to 10.

With the theme “Football and sports medicine – celebrating diversity,” the highly-acclaimed 7th AFC Medical Conference Qatar 2022 will focus on women’s football, youth, recreational footballers of all ages, and footballers with special needs. The programme includes keynote addresses, lectures, symposia, free papers, poster presentations and clinical cadaver workshops, and will highlight areas of contention on the return to football during the COVID-19 pandemic and evolution of diversity and inclusion in football.

The AFC’s General Secretary Dato’ Windsor John said: “Sports medicine continues to evolve rapidly, and Asia must be in the forefront to ensure that the health and recovery of our footballers remain as the highest priority.

“The 7th AFC Medical Conference is a platform to gather renowned medical experts to share the latest information and development in sports science. This is an opportunity for medical practitioners to learn, discuss and share their knowledge for the benefit of our athletes and the sport.

“I must thank the Qatar Football Association (QFA) and Aspetar, our long-standing partner who is part of the AFC Medical Centre of Excellence network, for hosting the 7th AFC Medical Conference. The conference will be a fantastic prelude before the world turns their attention to the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.”

Mansoor Mohammed Al Ansari, QFA Secretary-General, said: “The Qatar Football Association is keen to work very closely with the AFC in hosting and delivering significant events in Qatar. I am confident that the AFC Medical Conference will be a major success. Asia is a vast Continent, and sports medicine is a constantly evolving discipline, so we must continue to expand our knowledge to ensure that more players can gain greater access to the highest standards of medical attention and treatment.

The field of sports medicine is of great importance as it ensures the safety and security of the sport. We look forward to welcoming the AFC back to Doha and to all attendees – we invite you to enjoy Qatar’s hospitality and wish you all a pleasant stay.”

Aspetar’s renowned experts and other faculty members will be part of the AFC Medical Conference where they will share a diverse and cutting-edge sports medicine and science conference programme.

Mohammed Khalifa Al-Suwaidi, Chief Executive Officer Aspire Zone, DG of Aspetar said “It is our pleasure to once again take part in this notable conference, which will be the sixth consecutive occasion that Aspetar researchers and sports scientists showcase their knowledge and experience as contributors and partners. We are proud to be able to offer our support and absolutely confident that this event will once more be of tremendous benefit for the field of sport medicine in football within Asia. Aspetar contribution in this event comes in terms of comprehending the issues of sports medicine in football and offer their solutions.”

The AFC Medical Conference has grown tremendously since its inception in 1995 with the 6th AFC Medical Conference in Chengdu, China PR in 2019 attracting a record-high of more than 1,000 delegates