Sports medicine expert Dr Zafar Iqbal holds conference for Pakistan's football fraternity

The Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) on Monday invited Dr Zafar Iqbal, a top sports medicine expert from the UK, to guide Pakistani players, coaches and sports doctors via video conference on training, recovery, and rehabilitation methods at the highest level.

According to a spokesman of PFF, as many as 44 participants, including physiotherapists, coaches, players and other officials associated with Pakistan football attended the webinar.

“Dr Iqbal shared with the participants his precious knowledge related to medical procedures in sports and particularly football,” the spokesman said.

Dr Iqbal has been working with the English Premier League since 2007 and is currently the head of sports medicines at Crystal Palace FC. He’s also the chairman of the EPL Doctors’ group.

The PFF is hopeful of a positive impact of the session on Pakistan’s football community.

Manizh Zainli, the secretary-general of PFF's normalization committee, said that Dr. Iqbal also shared his suggestions on protocols to resume football activities in Pakistan.

“Dr Iqbal is someone who is at the top of his field as a consultant in sports and exercise medicine who has worked in professional football since 2005 and in the Premier League since 2007. The idea behind inviting him to speak was to get an insight into training, recovery, and rehabilitation methods at the highest level,” Manizeh told Geo Super.

“Pakistan football has lagged behind due to its inability to appreciate and implement developments in modern sport. Sports science is a critical component of football today and for an expert in the field to provide his insight to the coaches, players, doctors. and physiotherapists can only be a positive,” she said.

Manizeh also confirmed that Dr Iqbal also highlighted protocols for resuming football which would be useful not only for football but for all Pakistani sports.

It is worth mentioning that Dr Iqbal is also a member of the working group that designed the protocols for the return of sports in the UK.