What is NSMP

Aspetar established the National Sports Medicine Programme (NSMP) as a pioneer programme in Qatar and the region with the key thrust of facilitating the quality of sports medicine care within Sporting Clubs and Federations within Qatar and ASPIRE Academy for Sports Excellence. The NSMP aims to be the vehicle for the delivery of end-to-end sports medicine for Qatar’s athletes to assist Aspetar achieve its stated goals and objectives.

By initiating activities and projects both within and external to Aspetar, medical and sports science services are provided to registered athletes through an agreement with the Qatar Olympic Committee (www.qatarolympics.org) that recognises the shared objective of assisting athletes to reach their full potential. In its early phase of development, the NSMP will address the continuum from injury and illness prevention, to optimising performance in the athlete.

In employing and deploying sports specific practitioners into the Clubs and Federations, the NSMP is in the unique position of being able to coordinate a National approach to ensure the optimal education and injury prevention, as well as injury and illness management of registered athletes, including all National Teams.

The NSMP also takes a pivotal role in the provision of sports sciences that seeks to enhance performance outcomes within Clubs, Federations and ASPIRE Academy for Sports Excellence. It does this through initiating projects, engaging key stakeholders and coordinating programmes that target these areas.

Additionally, the NSMP provides the framework in ensuring optimal athlete care through a strong operational link to the Sports Medicine Division and other departments within Aspetar and also to manage the relationships with key stakeholders, such as the Qatar Olympic Committee, Clubs, Federations, ASPIRE Academy for Sports Excellence and other bodies to ensure that athlete care pathways are monitored and adhered to.

Examples of the activities and initiatives undertaken by the NSMP, in partnership with key stakeholders are:

1. Implement best practice protocols based on international best standards. Through protocols developed by the Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation Departments of Aspetar, to ensure that treatments, within the Clubs, Federations and ASPIRE Academy for Sports Excellence Health Centre have been validated through scientific research.

2. Education of sports medicine practitioners within the National network to ensure that the most up-to-date treatment techniques within International Sports Medicine are utilised.

3. Educate and implement preventative programmes that aim to decrease the incidence of injuries to players. Programmes such as the “FIFA F-MARC 11+ programmes” have been shown to decrease the rates of injury in players.

4. Develop and implement of an Athlete Electronic Medical Record that will be used within the Clubs and Federations to record, track and monitor injuries and illnesses to players. In time, some of the data recorded can be used to develop a system for the profiling of athletes that will assist to improve the strategies to athlete care.

5. Spearhead the “Excellence in Football” project that proposes the implementation of a strategic and longer term (4-7 years) approach to the development of the footballers within the State of Qatar. It proposes the development of a programme for young players that aligns to the development of the psychological, technical and tactical aspects of their growth.

6. In conjunction with the Qatar Anti-Doping Commission, the NSMP encourages and promotes a drug free approach to sporting success.

Each of these projects relies on close cooperation with key stakeholders within Qatar. The NSMP actively seeks to engage these organisations who have an interest in the development of the athlete and facilitate the delivery of Sports Medicine, Sports Science and Clinical Research to ensure that services remain athlete focused.