Football's controlling body FIFA on Monday opened the first African FIFA Medical Centre of Excellence, according to dpa. In a statement issued by FIFA, the organization said that the Centre for Exercise Science and Sports Medicine (CESSM) at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg was the first FIFA Medical Centre of Excellence on the continent. Speaking at the inauguration of the centre the FIFA Chief Medical Officer Professor Jiri Dvorak said the organization was particularly pleased the centre was in the country that would host the 2010 World Cup. "It will create a legacy far beyond this event by educating the next generation of African clinical specialists committed to football medicine. "The body of knowledge in football medicine accumulated by FIFA needs to be practically implemented so that African players can fully benefit from state-of-the-art prevention, treatment and rehabilitation," he said. FIFA said that the centre has been identified as the centre of specialisation for football by the South African Football Association (SAFA) and the South African Confederation of Sports and the Olympic Committee (SACSOC). "South Africa is among the world's leaders in the field of sports medicine. The opening of the first FIFA Medical Centre of Excellence is another important milestone in building a legacy beyond 2010 FIFA World Cup," said Danny Jordaan, Chief Executive Officer of the 2010 FIFA World Cup Organising Committee South Africa.
