Liberia: CAF Completes 3-Day Sports Medicine Course

One of the female sports medics receives her certificate of completion from LFA executive committee member, Ivan Brown

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has completed a three-day medical course for doctors and sports medics in Liberia.

The 3-day training course was held at the SKD Sports Complex from August 24-26. It was facilitated by CAF medical committee member, Yasser Abdel Rahman of Egypt, a professor of cardiology, and CAF medical manager, Dr. Boubakary Sidiki of Cameroon.

The course was meant to improve the knowledge and skills of sports medics and doctors about new developments relating to sports medicine.

It has been a couple of years now since medics in Liberia did a refresher in sports medicine.

Nearly 90 participants, including doctors and sports medics of clubs and national teams, benefited from the three days course.

The participants were lectured on medical topics including Cardiac Arrest, Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR), Age Cheating, and Gender Verification among others.

Professor Rahman and Dr. Sidiki were assisted by the LFA medical committee represented by Dr. Clarence Yaskey, chairman and Dr. Moses Tarawali, Dr. Torsou Jallabah, Dr. Philderald Pratt, Jumah Kollie (MPH), and David Zomo (BSN).

“We had a great atmosphere of learning over the last three days and you could see the yearning for knowledge from these young people because it has been many years since we had a refresher and medicine requires continuous education,” Dr. Yaskey said.

Dr. Yaskey said the training is a new beginning for sports medicine in Liberia as it sets the stage for Liberia to be on par with other countries in the sub-region.

Hannah Kollie, one of the participants who spoke on behalf of her colleagues, thanked the LFA and CAF for the opportunity given to refresh their minds on sports medicine and pleaded with the football association to continuously organize refresher courses for medics in Liberia.

The two CAF facilitators thanked the LFA for its support to sports medicine and lauded the participants for their eagerness to learn during the three days. Prof. Rahman and Dr. Sidiki pledged their commitment to avail themselves to assist the LFA when the need arises.  

Also speaking at the close of the three-day workshop, LFA president Mustapha Raji thanked the facilitators for traveling to Liberia to impart knowledge and urged the participants to use the knowledge gained.

“It is an exciting moment for me today that we have again started a new path, reactivating sports medicine in Liberia. Thanks to our doctors who took their time to come and participate in this workshop. We hope that our medics from clubs that also came will use the knowledge gained not just for football, but also to serve as ambassadors and share the knowledge with others who were not here for the past three days. And we can assure you as a football association that there will be more of these training sessions to come,” Mr. Raji said.

At the end of the workshop, the two facilitators were presented with gifts (Liberia national team jerseys) from the LFA and African gowns from the participants.