To guard against sudden and untimely death in the Nigeria nationwide League One, forty-one players have been sacked from taking part after a comprehensive medical check-up to ascertain their medical condition and fitness as footballers.
According to Dr. Olajide Adebola, a member of FIFA medical team, who led a team of Medical practitioners to conduct the check-up of players, said systemic hypertension and suspected cases of idiopathic cardiomyopathy were the cause of the ban on the players.
“In the last round of the Nationwide league, 41 players across the 27 states of the Federation where the Nationwide League One clubs were registered last year these 41 players were asked not to play in the league until their health status has been re-examined and the essence is to preserve their lives” Dr. Adebola said.
According to the Medical Consultant to the Nationwide League, there are some hidden medical ailments in some players and only comprehensive medical examination tests can detect some of these ailments, stressing further that the ailments that made the 41 players to stop playing football in the Nationwide League One are systemic hypertension and suspected cases of idiopathic cardiomyopathy.
“Clubs in all the tiers of the league in Nigeria should conduct medical tests for their players to find out any serious medical conditions of their players. In the Nationwide League One, we discovered that these 41 players were having the issues of systemic hypertension and cases of idiopathic cardiomyopathy, so we asked them to stop playing football, until further medical examination tests are conducted” Dr. Adebola informed.
He added that :”The players were asked to see specialist such as Cardiologist that will now confirm whether the enlargement of the heart is in diadem with sporting exercises over the years that affected the changes in the heart or the heart is disease itself”
Dr. Adebola further informed that the first batch for medical check – up of players in the Nationwide League One ahead of the new season has already commenced last week, which includes 51 clubs in the first batch and he and 16 other medical practitioners are conducting the test for the players in the clubs.
“We have already commenced the medical check – up of players for the new season with 51 clubs in the first batch. 16 Medical doctors are already in 16 states to conduct the first batch of comprehensive medical check up for players in 51 clubs and the main purpose is to avoid tragic death of any player on the field of play in the Nationwide League” he concluded.
Packaged by Lanre Olabisi
