8th AFC Medical Conference, Medicine & Science: Navigating Through Changing Times

The 8th AFC Medical Conference, held in Kuala Lumpur from 21 to 25 July 2025, convened leading sports medicine professionals, researchers, and practitioners from across Asia and beyond. Hosted at the Sunway Hotel & Convention Centre, the event featured pre‑conference workshops (physiotherapy, anti‑doping, sports cardiology, and more), keynote addresses, symposia, poster sessions, clinical labs, and exhibitions showcasing the latest in sports science innovation.

Operating under the banner “Medicine & Science – Navigating Through Changing Times”, the conference aimed to bridge scientific advancement with practical athlete care strategies. Topics included AI applications in sports medicine, genomics, injury prevention, women’s football, disability-inclusive play, and high-performance rehabilitation. The conference welcomed over 800 delegates, including esteemed experts such as Malaysia’s Minister of Youth and Sports and FIFA Medical Director Dr Andrew Massey. Organised agendas spanned intensive pre‑congress workshops on 21–22 July, followed by plenary lectures, breakout sessions, and specialist clinics from 23 to 25 July

As part of the 8th AFC Medical Conference, Symposium 19 tackled the theme of “Challenging Environments and Sports Participation,” offering timely insights into how environmental conditions, particularly heat and air pollution, impact athlete health and performance.

The session equipped participants with knowledge and tools to:define the impact of heat stress on player physiology and game outcomes, adapt sports performance and medical strategies to changing environmental conditions, and promote resilience in training, competition, and travel to challenging settings.

Chaired by Mustafa Alhashimi (UAE), with co-chairs from the United Kingdom, India, and Jordan, the session provided a global perspective on coping with emerging environmental threats to football.

Expert Contributions

Highlights included:

• Jason Lee Kai Wei (Singapore) on “Heat Management for Sports in a Warming World”
• Celeste Geertsema (Qatar/New Zealand) on female athlete performance in high-heat environments
• Raouf Rekik (Qatar/Tunisia) sharing best practices for team travel in challenging climates
• John George (India) examining the impact of air pollution on football recovery

A brief but impactful contribution came from Dr Victor Hoe (Malaysia), who opened the session with a public health perspective on air pollution and infections, drawing from Malaysia’s experience with seasonal haze. He highlighted the dual challenges of climate change and air pollution. He presentation emphasised the need for coordinated policy and practice to protect athlete health in polluted environments.

Moving Forward

The symposium concluded with a dynamic panel discussion. It reinforced that safeguarding athlete well-being in the face of climate and pollution challenges requires both innovation and interdisciplinary commitment.