AFC-Qatar Hold Anti-Doping Campaign For Youth

Doha, February 23 (QNA) - A Health and Anti-Doping Awareness Campaign is being held for the first time at the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) U-14 Festival of Football now in progress in the Qatari capital that will provide an opportunity to give an early exposure to the young participants on the issue of doping. The campaign is a collaboration between the AFC Medical Department, Qatar Football Association (QFA), Aspetar Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Centre, Qatar Anti-Doping Commission and the newly established Anti-Doping Laboratory Qatar, an AFC report said Thursday. A health and anti-doping awareness corner has been set up at the players' waiting area at the main venue of the annual educational festival, the QFA Technical Stadium, where players have the opportunity to visit while waiting or resting for their next matches. During the campaign, Aspetar is providing educational opportunities to the players and their entourage about health and injury prevention with its medical experts at hand to give talk to the players as well as health checks. The Qatar Anti-Doping Commission will expose to the festival participants doping control matters using interactive computer games and promotional items to make the learning more enjoyable and effective. The Anti-Doping Laboratory Qatar, under Aspetar, shares with the players accurate and current information to encourage them to think critically and make the wise choice of avoiding doping in any form. Anti doping is an important endeavour by the AFC in the quest to promote fair play and health and the campaign is set to be an early platform to encourage young football players to inculcate the good habits of living healthily and playing fairly. (QNA)