24-07-2025
AFC honours Dr Al Khulaifi with Medical Excellence Award
AFC
Kuala Lumpur
In a new achievement for the Qatar Football Association (QFA) and Aspetar, Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Hospital, Dr. Khalid Abdulrahman Yousef Al Khulaifi, Consultant Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Surgeon and Director of the Visiting Surgeons Program at Aspetar, representing the QFA, received the prestigious Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Medical Excellence Award during a ceremony held on the sidelines of the 8th AFC Medical Conference 2025, currently being held inKuala Lumpur.
The award ceremony was attended by AFC leaders, the Malaysian Minister of Youth and Sports, and a number of invited medical experts from the region. The annual award is given to young medical talents under the age of 45, in recognition of their outstanding achievements in the fields of scientific research, the development of medical services, and the enhancement of professional training programs in football. This award is one of the most prominent honors granted by the AFC, having been first launched at the AFC Congress in India in 2015. It continued to celebrate young medical talents in China (2019), and will continue until the eighth edition in Malaysia in 2025. It aims to highlight the pivotal role of young doctors in supporting and developing football in the medical and research fields.
The international honour bestowed represents a high-level recognition of Dr. Khalid Al Khelaifi's distinguished career in the field of sports medicine, and consolidates the leadership of Qatari medical talents on the continental and global arenas. His continued research, innovation, and training reflect absolute dedication and continuous giving in the service of sports and medicine.
Khalid Ali Al Mawlawi, Acting Director of Aspetar, said, 'We congratulate Dr. Khalid Al Khulaifi on the remarkable achievement, which fills us with pride here at Aspetar. This recognition confirms the pioneering role played by Aspetar's staff in reaching the highest levels and achieving excellence on the regional and global levels.
'Dr. Al Khelaifi's winning of this award consolidates the leadership of Qatari medical competencies on the continental and global levels. It reflects the efforts exerted in serving sports and medicine, and motivates us all to continue in line with the hospital's vision of leadership.'
Dr. Khalid Al Khelaifi expressed his happiness at winning the award, saying: 'The honour is the result of blessed efforts, thanks first to God, and then to the support of Aspetar Hospital, which provided me with the ideal environment for development and innovation, and the Qatar Football Association, which was a strong supporter. This achievement confirms the true brilliance of Qatari medical personnel, who are now capable of competing and excelling at the international level.
'I do not consider this victory a final milestone, but rather a strong push to continue the path of development and excellence in the field of sports medicine, and to serve sports not only in our beloved region, but also on the global level.'
Dr. Khalid Al Khelaifi has previously served as Medical Director for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, in addition to heading a number of medical committees as Sports Director, such as the 2023 Asian Cup and the Asian Youth Cup, in addition to numerous sports tournaments held in Qatar.
