SAO TOME, Aug. 13 (Xinhua) -- The Confucius Institute at the University of Sao Tome and Principe and the 20th Chinese medical team to the country on Wednesday launched a training program on the prevention and treatment of martial arts injuries at the university.
The program, aimed at local martial arts coaches, athletes and sports practitioners, covers injury prevention, rehabilitation and on-site first aid.
Chinese instructors and doctors are providing training on the prevention and treatment of common sports injuries, including muscle strains, ligament injuries and joint overuse injuries, based on the characteristics of different martial arts disciplines. The program also introduces traditional Chinese therapies such as acupuncture, massage and physiotherapy, as well as traditional fitness exercises including Baduanjin, or Eight-Section Brocade.
Hao Ganghua, a martial arts instructor at the Confucius Institute, said the program is the first systematic specialized training of its kind in Sao Tome and Principe to cover multiple martial arts disciplines.
Chinese martial arts, judo, karate and taekwondo have a certain following in the country. Still, professional capacity in sports injury prevention and medical support for competitions remains relatively limited, creating a practical need among coaches and athletes for related expertise, Hao said.
Pan Hui, a doctor with the 20th Chinese medical team, said the training focuses not only on the treatment and rehabilitation of injuries but also on prevention.
Through systematic instruction and practical exercises, the program is designed to help participants identify and manage common sports injuries, improve training techniques and body mechanics, strengthen awareness of scientific training and injury prevention, and apply what they learn in daily training and competitions, Pan said.
Jilmey Da Costa Neto Da Costa, head of the Sao Tome and Principe Martial Arts Association, said bringing together coaches and athletes from different martial arts disciplines to learn about injury prevention and treatment would help promote safer and more scientific training.
He also expressed appreciation to the Confucius Institute and the Chinese medical team for providing professional training to local martial arts practitioners.
The five-week program includes two sessions per week and is attended by around 20 coaches and key practitioners from the country's martial arts association and disciplines including judo, karate and taekwondo. ■