Dr Jose Alberto Mendez Villanueva (left), Senior Coach and Head of Physiology Unit at the academy, and Professor Valter Di Salvo, Director of Football Performance and Science at the academy addressing the press conference yesterday.
DOHA: A research by Aspire Academy will analyse hamstring injuries in football players and make injury prevention strategies.
Hamstring strains account for 12 to 16 percent of all injuries sustained by football players. The research will tackle the issue and set new prevention strategies.
The academy has been awarded a grant by Qatar National Research Fund (QNRF) for the project ‘A multi-continental approach to advance exercise methods and technologies to promote general health and sports performance.’
It was launched on February 1 and is expected to be completed in three years.
“It will help improve player performance levels and empower the development of our young Qatari football players – the nation’s football stars of the future. The project demonstrates our commitment to nurture our athletes’ potential and create a new generation of sports champions,” Professor Valter Di Salvo, Director of Football Performance and Science at the academy, told a press conference yesterday.
The research is divided into three phases. Majority of existing research is derived from studies using adult players so the study will collect data from senior and young players and professional and semi-professional footballers.
Clubs and teams, including the academy, QSL, QFA and FC Barcelona, will collaborate.
By furthering research to help prevent injuries, results will not only benefit Qatar but also bring multiple advantages globally and contribute to the development of a successful national team for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
The project can boast partnership between the academy and entities such as Karoliska Institute, Sweden; FC Barcelona, Spain; and Nasa and Texas A&M University, the US.
Dr Jose Alberto Mendez Villanueva, Senior Coach and Head of the Physiology Unit at the academy, said, “Hamstring strain is well documented in football and is the most prevalent injury in the sport. The over-arching goal of the project is to tackle the issue and lead the way in setting new prevention strategies for young and adult players.”
The Peninsula
