March 20 – The AFC Medical Committee has approved the recognition of two new healthcare providers as part of the AFC Medical Centre of Excellence network at its second meeting held virtually on Tuesday.
The Japan Football Association Clinic and the Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Center – Vinmec Times City International Hospital in Vietnam have joined the group of recognised facilities, increasing the total count to 12 across the continent.
Established in 2018, the AFC Medical Centre of Excellence acknowledges clinics and hospitals that provide top-tier healthcare to Asian football players. To qualify, these centres must exhibit leadership in clinical research, education, injury prevention, management practices, and advancements in sports medicine research.
AFC Medical Committee Chairperson Dato’ Dr Gurcharan Singh, said: “The healthcare and wellbeing of players represents a critical component in enabling the AFC to realise its Vision of ensuring the success of its teams on the world stage.
“Through the expansion of the AFC Medical Centres of Excellence, we will not only be able to enhance the scope of services, accessibility, and level of care to players, but ultimately ensure more opportunities for greater clinical collaboration and multi-disciplinary knowledge exchange across the Continent.
“On behalf of the AFC, I would like to congratulate our newly-designated AFC Medical Centre of Excellence partners and we look forward to their continued dedication towards providing world-class scientific research and services for the benefit of Asian players and teams,” added Dato’ Dr Gurcharan.
The AFC also approved the Registered Testing Pool (RTP) for 2025 competitions to fight doping. They went on to update the Competition Operations Manual and discussed studying DSD prevalence in female Asian footballers, Sports Genomics in Women’s Football, and implementing digital medical record software for efficiency.
Contact the writer of this story, Harry Ewing, at moc.l1732329600labto1732329600ofdlr1732329600owedi1732329600sni@g1732329600niwe.1732329600yrrah1732329600
