Muscat, Dec 15
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth, represented by the Directorate General of Sports Care and Development within the Department of Sports Medicine and Sports Sciences, organised the Second Sports Sciences Forum on Monday at the Intercity Hotel Muscat, under the auspices of Hisham bin Juma al Sanani, Director General of Sports Care and Development at the Ministry.
The forum was attended by around 60 medical professionals, specialists and researchers in sports medicine, rehabilitation and physiotherapy, representing a number of institutions linked to the sports sector in the Sultanate of Oman. The event was held as part of the Ministry’s efforts to strengthen the scientific approach and enhance the quality of medical services provided to athletes.
The forum comes as a continuation of the success achieved by its first edition and reflects the Ministry’s commitment to building an integrated sports sciences system focused on developing national competencies, exchanging expertise and raising awareness of the importance of sports medicine and sports sciences in supporting athletic performance, preventing injuries and improving rehabilitation programmes based on modern scientific principles.
The Second Sports Sciences Forum served as a specialised scientific platform to discuss several key themes related to professional practice, most notably pain management, rehabilitation, sports injuries and nutrition, in addition to highlighting the importance of providing an appropriate environment for rehabilitation programmes in line with advances in modern treatment methods and in support of athlete safety.
The forum also featured specialised scientific papers that presented the latest developments in sports sciences and sports medicine, contributing to linking theory with practice and equipping medical professionals with modern scientific tools to enhance the quality of therapeutic and rehabilitation services.
In addition, the forum witnessed the signing of several memoranda of understanding and cooperation agreements between the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth and a number of academic and professional institutions, aimed at supporting the training of physiotherapy students, promoting scientific research, exchanging expertise and building specialised national competencies in sports medicine and sports sciences.
The event also marked the launch of the first national specialised research study entitled 'Project for the Preparation of the National Policy for Post-Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) Surgery Rehabilitation', representing an important step towards organising rehabilitation programmes within a unified national scientific framework that contributes to improving the quality of rehabilitation care, reducing recurrent injuries and supporting athletes’ safe return to competition.
Dr Salem al Ghailani, Director of the Department of Sports Medicine and Sports Sciences, affirmed that the forum reflects the Ministry’s commitment to developing professional practices in sports medicine and enhancing the efficiency of practitioners, noting that it also included the signing of a cooperation agreement with the University of Nizwa to strengthen academic partnership and support scientific research.
Meanwhile, Khalil al Busaidy, Head of the Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation Section, explained that the forum came with a renewed approach and addressed integrated scientific themes, including the launch of the national policy for post-ACL injury rehabilitation, the effect of caffeine on physical performance, motivational interviewing during rehabilitation, wound care and the importance of neuromuscular training in sports rehabilitation. He stressed that this policy will represent a qualitative shift in the Omani sports landscape.
Physiotherapy specialist Mazen al Arfi highlighted the importance of the behavioural and psychological aspects in dealing with athletes, noting that improving athletic performance is closely linked to communication methods and behaviour change. He presented a scientific approach based on dialogue and internal motivation, emphasising its effectiveness in achieving sustainable change.
For her part, Dr Afrah al Jabriya explained that the forum focused on delivering simplified scientific content with the participation of local speakers, and opened its sessions with the national plan for the rehabilitation of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries, which account for around 60 per cent of registered cases. She affirmed the Ministry’s intention to organise the forum on an annual basis, while preparing to hold a specialised physiotherapy conference next February in cooperation with the relevant stakeholders.
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