The 7th Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Medical Conference officially concluded on Monday in Qatar’s capital, providing over 600 delegates with a comprehensive overview of the latest advancements in sports science and medicine.

The landmark three-day event saw delegates updated on the challenges faced by sports science and medicine, as well as its best practices, and cutting-edge developments. These were presented via keynote addresses, lectures, symposia, poster presentations and clinical workshops.

AFC President Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa, in applauding its success, emphasised the growth of the ground-breaking event into one of the leading medical conferences not only on the Continent, but also across the world of sport.

“Our Vision is to see our players and teams shine on the world’s biggest stages and the AFC Medical Conference is the perfect example of the AFC’s commitment to realise our ambitions,” said the AFC President.

“My heartfelt appreciation to all of you. We would not have reached this stage if not for your sacrifices, professionalism, passion and commitment to purpose.

“Together, I am confident that we will continue to raise our sport science and medicine standards and I have every faith that this conference will lead to new and exciting developments in sports medicine, even as the AFC introduces a new era of improved competitions in the coming years.”

Hosted by the AFC, the Aspetar Orthopaedic & Sports Medicine Hospital and the Qatar Football Association, the Conference brought together more than 120 highly regarded sports medicine and science professionals from the AFC, FIFA, UEFA, CONMEBOL, Confederation of African Football, the International Olympic Committee and Aspetar.

Themed “Football and Sports Medicine – Celebrating Diversity”, the Conference provided participants the means to successfully and proficiently handle football-related medical situations.

Endorsed by the British Journal of Sports Medicine for the first time, it also highlighted the return of football after the COVID-19 pandemic and the game’s growth with regards to diversity and inclusion.

The 3rd AFC Medical Awards ceremony was held simultaneously with the Conference to celebrate the efforts and contribution of medical professionals towards the development of football.

Appreciation awards were also presented to the Qatar Football Association, Aspetar Orthopaedic & Sports Medicine Centre, Aspire Academy, FIFA, UEFA, the Anti-Doping Laboratory Qatar and the Aspire Zone Foundation to recognise their support of and impact on the Conference and to ensure the event closed on a well-received note.

The momentum will soon shift to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, where the biennial Conference will be hosted for the third time following the success of the 2011 edition.

Relive all the key moments from the 7th AFC Medical Conference Qatar 2022 here.

AFC President Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa

"The conference was a successful event,  thanks to Aspetar for hosting this event, we benefited a lot from the participating speakers, it was a very positive participation, the medical aspect in sports and football has a major role in the development of the game, we hope to benefit from the outputs of this conference and the current conference is the nucleus of future conferences. Aspetar is a project that started a few years ago, but what we are seeing now is that it is playing a greater role, not only in the local and continental role but also in a more effective role, we will see how its experience on the continent will benefit from treating athletes in various parts of the continent, especially from countries that did not have such facilities and services."

Dr AbdulAziz Jeham Al Kuwari, Aspetar CEO:

"The presence of the AFC President, H.E. Sheikh Salman, is another confirmation of the importance of sports medicine and the success of the conference held in Doha, especially with the participation of more than 150 international experts in this field, a large number of speakers are Aspetar experts, which confirms the position and leadership of the hospital, which has become a reference for sports medicine and sports sciences. We are very proud of the outcomes and recommendations of the conference as they will meet the needs of the sports community and underline the pivotal role of sports medicine, and the success of the conference reinforces Aspetar's leadership not only in Asia but even in the world, given the content and quality of attendance from the world's elite experts."