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by SRIAN OBEYSEKERE

The 6th Asian Federation of Sports Medicine Congress (AFSMC) to be hosted in Sri Lanka from October 23-26 is expected to be a boost to the gammut of all sports in the country including cricket, as much as theming on adult fitness as well with even the elderly benefitting. The Congress is sponsored by Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Limited.

To be hosted by the Ministry of Health in conjunction with the Sri Lanka Sports Medicine Association (SLSMA), the Congress, the first of its kind to be held in Sri Lanka, envisages further enhancing performances of athletes in the country while also broadbasing talent. In cricket, a new leaf would be the availability of scientific sports expertise globally.

The Cricket Board has solicited the services of the SLSMA in this regard, according to Major General, Dr. C. Thurairaja, Chairman of the Organising Committee for October's congress. He stressed that cricketwise, the benefits accruing from this to Sri Lanka Cricket would be that cricketers would be able to avail themselves of sports medicine know-how, not only from Australia which is currently available to them, but from any country as far as the USA.

Accordingly, foreign expertise will be available to fine-tune the cricketers importantly in four areas from training methods, nutrition, injuries and rehabilitation. Dr. Thurairaja elaborated that this would also envisage the assessment of suitable talent.

Noting that hitherto 'nobody assessed talent suitability', Dr. Thurairaja said, that the good effects from the whole thing would be assessing cricketers on these lines so as to correctly identify and rectify cricketer's weaknesses. He explained: "that it was in such areas that bio-mechanism became useful. For example if a player's back muscles are weak, it would enable diagnosis and treatment to develop his back muscles."

But the sporting doctor stressed that 'we want to do it for everyone in Sri Lanka' in staying fit. "We need to create an awareness among the Sri Lankan population about the values of sports medicine which is relevant to all age groups," he said noting that it was not only the elite they would be reaching out to, but all segments of society, mainly the urban sector where 72 per cent of the population lies.

As to the field of athletics, he noted that there was no system that generated class athletes. "That is where we come in. We (SLSMA) have a big vision. We must have good bio-mechanics in correcting raw techniques. The Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports is keen and happy that we are working in conjunction with the ministry in trying to develop the whole country."

Other areas the 6th Asian Congress will draw attention to is doping in sports, training for cricketers, injuries in racquet sports, active ageing and exercise for elderly, women in sports, children in sports, physiotherapy and rehabilitation, heart and exercise and nutrition in sports.

Dr. Thurairaja said that the only way of ensuring that athletes did not use performance enhancing drugs was the strict adherence to subjecting them to 'out of competition doping tests.'

For fitness addicts as well as the elderly, Dr. Thurairaja's formula to stay fit regularly is exercising.

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