Somali Football Federation Secretary General
Abdi Qani Said Arab who addressed at Wednesday’s opening ceremony of the sports
medicine workshop noted that the event was the most professional ever held by
his federation and was intended to strengthen the role of sports medicine
volunteers and increase the number of sports medical staff who will be confined
only to the field of football.
"We previously held at least one sports
medicine workshop annually, but this is totally different from those we held in
the past, because it gathered young age volunteers from medical universities in
the country, nurses from the country’s biggest hospitals and as well as local Red
Crescent volunteers, so it is more professional than we held before” the SFF secretary
General told the 45 workshop participants including men and women during his
opening remarks Wednesday.
He noted it was very important for the Somali
Football Federation to organize such professional workshop adding that the SFF
had more crucial objectives in holding the event which include:
1- To increase the number of football medical volunteers across the country
2- To send medical messages to the Somali people through football
3- To help accomplish the international principles of sports medicine and spread the medical messages from FIFA medical committee in particularly the messages delivered at the FIFA medical congresses held In Zurich 2010 and in Budapest 2012 where Somali FA was represented by its volunteer doctors.
4- To update the Somali FA medical volunteers and help them fully practice
the important FIFA medical committee messages including the implementation of
FIFA 11+ and F-Marc programs.
Secretary General Abdi Qani Said Arab
indicated that for a period of two years the Somali Football Federation has
been working on the successful implementation of such professional medicine
workshop. Other basic sports medicine workshops were held in the country, but
this is the most professional event ever organized in the war-devastated
country.
During his opening remarks Secretary General
Abdi Qani Said Arab emphasised the importance of anti doping control awareness through
football courses adding that the SFF was giving much more priority to the anti-
doping control implementation.
He noted that the workshop was part of the
preparations for the upcoming FIFA level sports medicine workshop which is
expected to be organized in the capital Mogadishu in a few months time.
"For
the first time we are going to organize at least three FIFA level courses in
the country before the end of the year and those courses will include the
medical one, so we want you to be fully prepared for that international level
course—it will really be a very big chance” Secretary General Abdi Qani Said
Arab told the workshop participants adding that after the course there will be
an examination and the most qualified 25 participants will be shortlisted for the
upcoming FIFA level medical course.
He said the trained medical volunteers will work
at the local football activities and will also help the local clubs during
training sessions and other purposes.
SPECIAL AMBULANCE SERVICE
In his opening remarks Secretary General Abdi
Qani Said Arab told the workshop participants that the SFF was in the process
of establishing its own professional ambulance service since there was a huge
need for such service.
"On behalf of Somali Football Federation I
promise that we will continue such sports medicine workshops and we will get
you full medical equipment including emergency ambulance services—we will try
to cover your medical needs as much as we can” Secretary General Abdi Qani Said
Arab told the volunteers.
For his part Somali Football Federation
President Ali Said Guled Roble told the opening ceremony that his federation
was prioritising the strengthening of the sector of sports medicine and SFF
will increase the organization of such workshops.
"I praise the work by our medical committee
members who are always spending much of their time and energy in creating new
volunteers—in my capacity as president I confirm that you are the backbone of
all of our activities, because without medical volunteers we cannot continue”
President Ali Said Guled Roble told the workshop instructors, before officially
opening it.
The two-day workshop is being conducted by
Dr. Abdullahi Hussein one of the country’s most professional surgeons and
general medical doctor who had previously benefitted from many FIFA and CAF
medical seminars and courses. He is assisted by General medical doctor and orthopaedist
Dr. Khalif Yusuf Sabriye, both members of Somali Football Federation Medical
committee.
Somali Football Federation Media Department
Email:somalifootballmedia@gmail.com