The AFC Champions League Injury and Illness Surveillance Programme was launched in the Malaysian capital city on Wednesday.

Twenty-two team doctors attended the one-day workshop organized by the AFC Sport Medicine Department and Aspetar, the Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Hospital, Qatar, on how to systematically record injuries and illnesses in their clubs.

The subsequent study, planned to run over two seasons, will ultimately allow teams to better understand the characteristics of injuries and illnesses in Asian elite players – and how to prevent them.

AFC General Secretary Dato’ Windsor John, in his opening remarks, said:

The field of sports medicine has taken greater prominence today, more so than ever. In many ways, this shift in focus can be attributed to the global competitive nature of football. The demands on players to perform at their best further emphasise the need for the medical community. The prevention of injuries and illnesses relies on developing a sound risk management plan for each athlete and team.

Adopting best practices from the UEFA Champions League, the AFC in partnership with Aspetar plan to investigate injuries and illnesses involving the continent’s top clubs in the AFC Champions League Injury and Illness Prevention in a scientific study over the next two seasons to obtain detailed information on the injury frequency, severity, occasions and patterns. Ultimately, this will allow for tailored prevention measures to protect players’ health and form, which is in line with the AFC’s Vision and Mission to ensure the success of Asia’s players and teams on the world’s biggest stages.

Dr. Mohamed Ghaith Al-Kuwari, Acting Director General of Aspetar, said:

It is time that Asian players and teams benefit from the same scientific rigor and insight as their counterparts in Europe. Aspetar is proud to contribute to this landmark study that might change the way we prevent injuries in Asian football.

The workshop elaborated on the importance of injury prevention by introducing surveillance tools. The medical staff learned how to systematically use these tools in their daily routine during an intense break-out session. Champions League clubs will be invited to participate in the two-year study.

About Aspetar:

ASPETAR is a world leading specialised orthopaedic and sports medicine hospital, and the first of its kind in the Middle East. Since 2007, with a world expert team, the hospital has provided top-level comprehensive medical treatment to all athletes in a state-of-the-art facility that sets new standards internationally.

In 2009, Aspetar was accredited as a “FIFA Medical Centre of Excellence” by F-MARC. In 2013, Aspetar was adopted as a reference collaborator centre by the Gulf Countries Council (GCC) Health Ministers Council and “IOC Research Centre for Prevention of Injury and Protection of Athlete Health” in 2014.

In 2015, Aspetar has been recognised as the “IHF Reference Centre for Athlete and Referee Health”. In the same year, the hospital also achieved the obtained on December 15 the Accreditation Canada International (ACI) “Platinum Level”.

ASPETAR is a member–organisation of Aspire Zone Foundation, Qatar’s innovative sports and healthy lifestyle destination.