Football

HÀ NỘI — The Việt Nam Football Federation (VFF), in collaboration with Vinmec International Hospital, has organised a sports medicine and football nutrition training course to improve medical care, injury prevention and rehabilitation for players.

The three-day Sports Medicine and Nutrition in Football course concluded at Vinmec Smart City International Hospital in Hà Nội on Thursday. It brought together Vietnamese sports medicine specialists and experts from the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), with support from Vinmec and Herbalife.

The course was designed for medical staff and technical personnel working with national teams, clubs and football academies, aiming to update their professional knowledge and strengthen their skills in injury prevention, treatment and rehabilitation.

Speaking at the event, VFF General Secretary and Deputy Head of its medical committee Nguyễn Văn Phú stressed the increasingly important role of sports medicine and nutrition in modern football.

He said a team's performance depended not only on players' abilities, tactics and coaching methods, but also on the quality of medical care, injury prevention and rehabilitation.

Investment in these areas has been identified by the VFF as a long-term priority, helping strengthen players' physical foundations and ensure the sustainable development of future generations of Vietnamese footballers.

A key focus of the course was updating participants on methods of diagnosing, treating and rehabilitating common football-related injuries.

Trainees learned about thigh muscle injuries, including how to identify and classify the severity of damage, select appropriate treatment options, carry out functional rehabilitation and assess players' readiness to return to training and competition.

AFC experts also delivered specialised sessions on high-risk medical emergencies on the pitch. Topics included pre-match emergency preparedness, sudden cardiac arrest, heat-related illnesses and cervical spine injuries, in line with FIFA medical standards.

Alongside theoretical sessions, participants took part in practical clinical case exercises, MRI image analysis, rehabilitation planning and emergency response procedures.

These activities were designed to strengthen medical staff's ability to assess and manage injuries and coordinate professional responses to real-life situations within football teams.

According to the VFF, the training course was part of broader efforts to develop workers in sports medicine and gradually standardise medical care, treatment and rehabilitation for players.

The federation also acknowledged the cooperation of the AFC, Vinmec and Herbalife in delivering the programme, which aims to help build a professional, safe and sustainable football environment. — VNS