Crown Prince attends graduation of sports therapists

AMMAN — Sports therapists on Sunday said training they received as part of the “Qusai Initiative” has helped them boost their skills and acquire new techniques that play a key role in saving the lives of athletes when needed.

They underlined the importance of the programme, which was launched by HRH Crown Prince Hussein in January with a view to improve the performance of sports therapy staff, after the Faisali player, Qusai Khawaldeh, died during a football match.

“The training we received was very advanced. My colleagues and I acquired a new set of skills that will help deal with injuries in the field,” Shadi Aassi, a therapist at Al Faisali Club and one of the first batch of graduates who completed training under the initiative, told The Jordan Times on Sunday.

He made the remarks following a graduation ceremony of the first group of trainees, where the Crown Prince, also the Regent, honoured the graduates and presented them with certificates testifying to their completion of training.

The international certificates were provided by the American Heart Association, according to the committee in charge of implementing the initiative.

“I learned a lot. Improving sports therapists’ skills is very essential as one minute could make a difference and the presence of well-trained therapists during matches is extremely vital,” Aassi said.

His brother Mohammad who is also a sports therapist at Al Faisali Club agreed.

“The training I acquired was new and advanced. I will pass it on to my colleagues,” said Mohammad in an interview after the ceremony.

The initiative aims at bettering the capabilities of sport therapists on and off the field, creating programmes that can be implemented to ensure the safety of the players.

The initiative is named after Faisali’s Under-20 player Khawaldeh, who died in November during his team’s match with Al Jazeera after losing consciousness in the field.

The plan is implemented in cooperation with several partners including  the Prince Hussein Academy for Civil Protection, Royal Medical Services, Civil Defence Department, Jordan Olympic Committee, Higher Youth Council, Military Sport Federation and the Hashemite University.

The “Qusai Initiative” focuses on the preventive measures, enhancing awareness among the sports therapists and athletes alike, and limit injuries.