Aspetar provides medical support to Diamond League Doha 2021

A team of 20 physicians, nurses, physiotherapists, and massage therapists will provide immediate medical care throughout the Doha Diamond League 2021.

The track and field season continues with a Diamond League meet in Doha tomorrow, which will see champions in action two months before the Tokyo Olympics. Athletes are bound to use the event at Qatar Sports Club as a warm-up and/or a chance to post qualifying results for an Olympic spot. For the ninth consecutive year, Aspetar, the orthopaedic and sports medicine hospital, will provide its world-class medical services to the local and international athletes participating in the event. Aspetar’s ongoing collaboration with the Qatar Athletics Federation (QAF) in providing medical coverage to the Doha Diamond League is another example of Aspetar’s commitment to support athletes during sporting events in Qatar. Aspetar also serves as a vital primary healthcare facility for athletes and has a pivotal role in managing and co-ordinating medical services for the Diamond League event, ensuring that all stakeholder groups receive comprehensive medical care. Aspetar CEO Dr Abdulaziz Jaham al-Kuwari said, “Athletics is one of the most popular sports in Qatar, and through the Diamond League competition we serve athletes by providing them with comprehensive medical support. We are very pleased to partner with such a distinguished yearly event, and the success of Qatar athletics in international competitions has made us proud and persuaded us to continue our support for this beloved sport.” For this year’s event, Aspetar has set up on-site facilities at the Qatar Sports Club, offering services to all participating athletes. Led by Dr Laith Anis El Sanfaz, Chief Medical Officer of the event, a team of 20 physicians, nurses, physiotherapists, and massage therapists will provide immediate medical care throughout the event and at the participants’ residences. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, a few operational practices have been changed to adhere to Ministry of Public Health and World Athletics guidelines. Aspetar will manage the Covid-19 testing for all participating athletes in co-ordination with QAF. However, due to the pandemic members of the public will not be allowed to attend the event. Aspetar medical services are provided to athletes and to International Federation officials at the athlete hotels, and during training and competition at Qatar Sports Club. Additionally, the provision of medical services to the event workforce and media will be co-ordinated with Qatar Red Crescent (QRC) at different venues. Aspetar and the QAF have also signed a co-operation agreement, under which Qatari athletics will benefit from Aspetar’s outstanding medical services, and the latest scientific research and sports science. Qatari athletics stars benefit from comprehensive medical support leading up to the Tokyo Olympics, where the Qatari elite athletes aspire to confirm their progress, especially after the successful organisation of the 2019 World Athletics Championships. Aspetar has become the preferred sports medicine destination for a number of sports stars across all disciplines, including South African Wayde van Niekerk, US triple jumper Christian Taylor, and his compatriots LaShawn Merritt, Justin Gatlin, and Allyson Felix, Croatian discus thrower Sandra Perkovic, Algerian Olympic champion Taoufik Makhloufi, and French middle-distance runner Mahiedine Mekhissi.