State of the Art Medical COE may come up in Delhi

Speaking at the Opening Ceremony, Dato Gurcharan Singh, Chairman, AFC, Medical Committee, said: "It is important to have a FIFA Centre of Excellence in each and every Member Association of FIFA.

"In Asia, we have one in Doha. Probably there will be one more set up in Delhi in the next couple of years."

Jiri Dvorak, Chief Medical Officer, FIFA was also present on the occasion as was Kushal Das, General Secretary, All India Football Confederation and Dr Shaji Prabhakaran, FIFA Regional Developmental Officer for South and Central Asia.

The seminar will conclude on Friday.

"The COE stays a part of our Developmental Programme. The topic may be up for discussion as and when Prof. Dvorak meets the Health Minister and the SAI Officials," said Das.

The course, a first of its kind initiative organised by the All India Football Federation in association with AFC and FIFA and has participants from over 12 countries taking part in it. There are 11 doctors from India as well.

Dvorak is currently working in close tandem with former Brazilian striker Ronaldo helping him sort out his overweight issue.

"Medicine in football is of paramount importance. It is for the administrators to understand that a doctor is not merely in the side to quell with emergencies. It is much more than that," said Dvorak.

"The significance of this course is to offer optimum level of knowledge to all participating nations; to share expertise and experience based on evidence about prevention of injuries, anti-doping programmes and so on," he added.