As part of its centennial programme, FIFA is co-organising a prestigious sports medicine congress, in collaboration with the Mexican football association, in Cancun (Mexico) from 3 to 6 November 2004.

The FIFA Sports Medical Committee will play a prominent role during the conference. Dr Michel D’Hooghe (Belgium), chairman of the Sports Medical Committee and member of the FIFA Executive Committee, has been named honorary chair of the congress and, along with fellow Sports Medical Committee members Prof. Lars Peterson (Sweden), Dr Rudy Gittens (Canada) and Dr Raúl Madero (Argentina), he will share his expertise with the delegates assembled.

Bringing together an impressive array of specialists of global acclaim, the congress will be one of the year’s landmark events in international sports medicine, not only because of the high-profile participants but also the range of topics discussed (for information on the programme, see http://www.femexfut.org.mx/congresomedicofifa2004). Over six hundred doctors are due to attend from all four corners of the world.

The 2004 FIFA Medical Congress comes at a time when the FIFA Sports Medical Committee is celebrating another symbolic milestone: the tenth anniversary of the FIFA Medical Assessment and Research Centre (F-MARC). F-MARC was set up shortly after the 1994 FIFA World Cup USA™ with the primary objectives of reducing the overall number of injuries, decreasing the number of ‘minor’ injuries whose recurrence may have a degenerative effect in the long-term, introducing preventative measures and promoting football’s positive impact on health and well-being.

Headed from the outset by FIFA Chief Medical Officer Prof. Jiri Dvorak (Switzerland), F-MARC recently published a unique reference work summarising its extensive research, entitled the ‘Football Medicine Manual‘.

Further information from:
FIFA Media Department
Telephone: +41-43/222 7272 – Telefax: +41-43/222 7373 – E-mail : media@fifa.org