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As the dust settles on the historic AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023 Final, the medical and doping control officers who were appointed by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) to the continental showpiece hailed the Confederation’s unwavering commitment towards delivering unparalleled medical care.
In preparation for the 18th edition of the Confederation’s premier men’s national team competition, the members of the medical team underwent thorough training in order to acquaint themselves with all the groundbreaking medical innovations that were introduced for the first time, such as the use of medical tablets and the implementation of paperless doping control measures.
Reflecting on the experience, Dr. Randolph Medina Molo, who was appointed as the medical and doping control officer at the competition for the second successive time said: “The AFC has always been at the forefront of medical education which was reflected at the AFC Asian Cup™ as all the training and learning opportunities that we have received over time helped us to seamlessly align ourselves with the world-class standards set out by FIFA.
“The workshop was very helpful ahead of the tournament as it refreshed our memories with all the procedures for doping control. Moreover, there was an added advantage in the matches being hosted at FIFA World Cup venues as the staff at the Field of Play were extremely easy to train owing to their experience at the global showpiece.”
The 2023 edition of the AFC Asian Cup featured a cast of nine medical personnel from as many AFC Member Associations (MAs), selected from across all five Regional Associations (RAs), underlining yet another instance of the Confederation’s efforts towards maximising the potential of its members to cement itself as a model Confederation.
“This edition of the AFC Asian Cup™ was an interesting mix of young and experienced medical officers and for doctors like us, making their debut in the competition, it has been an incredible learning experience,” said Dr. Fenton Desouza.
“The introduction of technology such as the paper doping control through the MODOC platform has helped in reducing human error immensely and I am excited to see wider use of it in competitions in the future.
“The knowledge we gathered from the field is very different from what we experience in hospitals, and I am grateful for being given the opportunity to contribute to a competition of this stature.”
