Practising and aspiring sports medical officials took their medicine at a ground-breaking course in
Bindura last weekend.

A rare exercise, the programme covered topics that include responsibilities of medics in prevention
of injuries to athletes, faulty warm ups, types of injuries and how to detect them.

Dronisport, a local sport training institution licensed by the Sport and Recreation Commission (SRC),
conducted the course which drew 35 participants from across the country.

An official of the institute, Maxwell Pfumo, who co-ordinated the two-day exercise at the Salvation
Army Primary School, said other skills imparted to participants who included 15 female medics were
Sports Psychology, Diet and Nutrition and the application of bandages.

He said the programme was the first certified sport medical course in Zimbabwe.

The benefits to our sport industry are multiple. Training of more medics means enough personnel
to take care of clubs especially in lower leagues like Junior Football and social leagues.

Even some Division 2 teams were engaging people without basic qualifications. More medics mean
we will minimise the problem of players hiding their injuries as medics will pick up the injury by
observing the players, said Pfumo.

Previous non-graduate medical duties in sport were occupied by post-trainees from institutions like
St Johns Ambulance and Zimbabwe Red Cross Society. But their courses do not specialise in sports
injuries.

Among the course facilitators were a Bindura Provincial Hospital physiotherapist a Mr Masuka and
Dronisports Angelica Gurira.

Pfumo acknowledged a minor glitch that had to be overcome when their initial choice of venue at
the provincial referral hospital failed to materialize after indication by hospital authorities that their
premises would be occupied.

More sport specialised courses are now lined up, according to Dronisport, with Sport Fitness Training
and Sport Psychology up next.