BRUNEI Darussalam were one of the four countries that were given the honour to host an International Olympic Committee’s Course out of the 11 countries in Asia applying for the host job.

Datuk Dr M Jegathesan, the chairman of Medical Committee and Anti-doping Commission of Olympic Council of Asia revealed this during his speech at the opening of the 2nd International Olympic Committee Sports Medicine Course 2010 at the Orchid Garden Hotel yesterday.

Present to officiate the 2nd International Olympic Committee Sports Medicine Course 2010 was His Royal Highness Prince Haji Sufri Bolkiah, the President of Brunei Darussalam National Olympic Council.

The chairman of Medical Committee and Anti-doping Commission of Olympic Council of Asia said: “The honour to host this course is highly competed among our 45-member countries in Asia and last year, there were 11 applicants and the funding was only enough for four countries. Brunei Darussalam were successful in becoming one of the four countries being given the honour to host the IOC course.”

“I would like to congratulate Brunei Darussalam National Olympic Council for the success,” he expressed.
“One of the key elements in favour for Brunei Darussalam to conduct the course was the track record of the country in organising the first course and the sponsors were very impressed with the effort by the organising committee.”

Datuk Dr M Jegathesan said the purpose of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) with the funding of the Olympic Solidarity was to try to bring all the countries in the world on the importance of sports medicine and sport science in the practice of sports.

“For many years, IOC was absorbed by the need to spend a lot of time on anti-doping activities and most of the previous efforts were towards that direction. However since 2003, with the establishment of World Anti-Doping Agency, the agency has taken over much of the burden on carrying out anti doping programmes, allowing IOC to focus more and more on sports medicine.”

“Basically the series of courses are funded by Olympic Solitary and each year, every one in the continent is provided a budget to conduct these courses and the courses are arranged in various level. With these series of courses, we hope to extend the critical mass of sports medicine practitioners throughout the world with the ultimate aim of protecting the welfare of athletes,” he added.

Meanwhile, Datuk Dr M Jegathesan said: “We are highly honoured His Royal Highness Prince Sufri Bolkiah has taken his time to be with us today and it speaks very highly of HRH commitment and interests in promoting all aspects of sports in Brunei particularly in sports medicine and sports science as well as anti-doping in our sports movement today.”

Haji Mohamad bin Panglima Asgar Dato Paduka Haj i Abdullah, the Director of Youth and Sports in his capacity as the Chairman of the organising committee of the 2nd International Olympic Committee Sports Medicine Course 2010 in his welcoming remarks said: “The course is organised for the second time in Brunei Darussalam. It clearly demonstrates our commitment towards making this important allied health science of sports medicine available to our doctors, physiotherapist, nurses, paramedics, athletes, coaches, sports administrators and trainers for them to start considering the benefits and promise that science offers high performance through healthy development.”

“The need for the awareness of sports medicine in today’s highly competitive world, make it essential to programme such courses, where it should be stressed that all who are associated with sports development programmes, either at junior level or elite level, should unite forces for just one cause ie to achieve a perfect harmony between the body and the soul,” he added.

“It is paramount to understand the importance of grooming for sports excellence rather than just producing sportsmen and sportswomen for mere performance.”

He also highlighted: “Just mastering the art of sports is no end to achievement. We have to understand the science of sports, the science in sports and the science for sports too.”

The four-day course from Jan 18-21 includes topics of WADA anti-doping code 2009 (new Provision), principles of sports injury rehabilitation, adolescent and children in sports, sexual harassment and abuse in sports, health consequences of doping, women in sports, stress management in sports and others.

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