Taking sport to the elite level with regular training and competition is bound to bring about some type of sport injury. Risk of injury can be higher and more regular in one sport than another, for example between contact and non-contact sports.

Common injuries can also be a result of ‘over use’. The best remedy for injuries is prevention and knowing your body and the signals it gives you; however, regular pressures of training and competition will see a number of injuries occurring and the common ones are often very difficult to avoid no matter how well prepared an athlete is.

The Malta Olympic Committee being the responsible body for elite sport and for sending representation to major International Games is more than aware of the importance of Sports Science and Athlete Support Programmes.

National and elite athletes are regularly monitored at the MOC’s Functional Diagnostic Laboratory. This allows the technical department and coaches to keep track of the athletes’ progress and whether the training programme that they are undergoing is bearing fruit or not.

In addition to the Functional Diagnostic Laboratory there is also the need for other support schemes in terms of helping athletes to make a quick recovery in the eventuality of any injury.

With regular training and competition the body also needs a chance to recuperate before it ‘breaks down’ and one of the prevention remedy’s to help the body is sports massage. As part of the MOC Athlete Support Programme, the MOC offers Medical Services carried out in collaboration with the Sports Exercise and Rehabilitation Centre (S.E.R.CTM) at Saint James Hospital Sliema.

For the past two years as part of the technical support programme available under the MOC Athlete Schemes; athletes have availed themselves to the services at the Sports Exercise and Rehabilitation Centre (S.E.R.CTM) at Saint James Hospital Sliema.

This agreement has been successfully negotiated again with Hospital Director Jean Claude Muscat and has been extended to 2008 in time for the Beijing Olympic Games and covering athletes’ preparations for the Commonwealth Games Melbourne 2006 and the Games of the Small states of Europe Monaco 2007.

Saint James Hospital is well known for their outstanding services, high tech equipment and leading professionals in the field. This same applies to the facilities offered to the athletes at S.E.R.CTM. Apart from sports massage, rehabilitation services, physiotherapy; the agreement provides for Sports and Exercise Medicine Specialists Services, Sports Psychology Services and state of the art hospital based diagnostics and therapeutic facilities.

Also, as part of the agreement S.E.R.CTM and the MOC Medical Commission will be organising regular lectures on various themes to help enhance the understanding on sport injuries prevention, anti-doping regulations, information on nutrition and supplements. These lectures will be carried out by leading professionals from the respective fields. Lectures will be free of charge and will be open to the general public. Bookings to be made in advance due to limited space available. For further information interested persons may send an email to [email protected] (Saint James Medical Lectures).