EFSMA

14/10/2026

So glad to see our partners and members of our committee being active in their national sports medicine community!
Congratulations, Dr Kirill Micallef Stafrace and RehabX

Thank you for your outstanding leadership and commitment to advancing sports medicine locally in and globally! We are incredibly proud to have you on our team and look forward to your continued impact!
See you in Rome for the Executive Committee Meeting!

14/10/2026

Once again Congratulations to the newly elected FIMS - International Federation of Sports Medicine executive committee board and committees chair under the leadership of Professor Pigozzi who has been re elected President and special congratulations to our EFSMA fellows our President Maurizio Casasco our Sec General Sandra Rozenštoka,
Prof Pedro Manonelles Marqueta & Prof Bülent Ülkar ! Prof. Yannis Pitsiladis was appointed as a chair of scientific committee! Congratulations for your election success 🙏🏻

FIMS Council of Delegates Re-Elects Fabio Pigozzi as President and Elects the 2026–2030 Executive Committee

On 25 September 2026, the FIMS Council of Delegates met during the ###IX FIMS World Congress of Sports Medicine in Santiago, Chile, and elected the Executive Committee for 2026–2030.
Prof. Fabio Pigozzi (Italy), Professor of Internal Medicine at the University of Rome “Foro Italico”, was unanimously re-elected President, while Prof. José Kawazoe Lazzoli (Brazil) was unanimously re-elected Secretary General.

Vice Presidents elected were Prof. Sandra Rozenstoka (Latvia), 1st; Dr Ana Virginia Cintrón-Rodríguez (Puerto Rico), 2nd; Prof. Maher Zahar (Tunisia), 3rd; and Prof. Patrick Yung Shu Hang (Hong Kong, China), 4th. Rafael Augusto Robles Cabrera (Guatemala) was elected Treasurer.

Executive Committee members, in order of votes received, are Prof. Bülent Ülkar (Türkiye), Prof. Mark Hutchinson (USA), Prof. Pedro Manonelles Marqueta (Spain), Prof. Günther Neumayr (Austria), Prof. Xia Zhang (China), Dr Andrea Mattiozzi (Uruguay), Dr Andrew Jowett (Australia) and Dr Khaled Massoud Hassan Hussein (Egypt).
Prof. Eduardo Enrique De Rose (Brazil) continues as Honorary President for Life.

Commission Chairs appointed as ex officio Executive Committee members are Prof. Yannis Pitsiladis, Prof. Dimitri Constantinou, Dr Christian Schneider and Prof. Maurizio Casasco.

Full election details on the FIMS website
https://www.fims.org/news-events/news/fabio-pigozzi-re-elected-fims-president/

14/10/2026

‘Rethinking ‘science-based’ policy in sport: complexity, evidence and the limits of reductionism’

Congratulations to our board members
Our President Maurizio Casasco our chair of science Professor Yannis Pitsiladis and our Sec General Sandra Rozenštoka for the new publication initiated by FIMS - International Federation of Sports Medicine and its President Professor Fabio Pigozzi !

What does it actually mean to call an eligibility policy "science-based"?

Let us move beyond polemics and generate rigorous, independent, population-specific and sport-specific evidence-wherever it leads.

Science must determine the conclusion, not be asked to justify one already chosen.

Here is your open access link to read !

🔗 https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2026-112025

29/09/2026

A gene is not a performance test.
Our new paper has just been published in Frontiers: "Integrated Physiological and Performance Profiling of an Elite Athlete with Differences of S*x Development."

Hot pressed just published !
Congratulations to our chair of science Professor our Secretary General Sandra Rozenštoka and the entire team

https://Inkd.in/eAWiqRWS

28/09/2026

Congratulations Prof Pigozzi !
From the President of EFSMA to the re elected president of FIMS - International Federation of Sports Medicine !

Medicina dello sport, confermato nel board della federazione mondiale

'Orgoglioso di questo risultato, con Pigozzi organizzazione sempre più accreditata'

Il presidente della Federazione italiana e di quella Europea di medicina dello sport, Maurizio Casasco, è stato riconfermato a Santiago del Cile, nel corso della riunione dei delegati internazionali, membro dell’esecutivo della Federazione mondiale, guidata – per il quarto mandato consecutivo – da un altro italiano, il prof.Fabio Pigozzi.

“Sono molto orgoglioso di questo risultato - ha dichiarato Casasco -. E voglio soprattutto complimentarmi con il prof. Pigozzi, a cui mi lega una profonda amicizia, perché con il suo lavoro ha saputo trasformare la FIMS (120 i paesi aderenti in tutto il mondo) in un’organizzazione sempre più accreditata a livello internazionale.

Ed è un importante riconoscimento per la medicina dello sport italiana - ha continuato Casasco, che è anche deputato di FI -. In Italia è nata nel 1957, prima nel mondo, la scuola di specializzazione in medicina dello sport. E il nostro Paese è stato anche il capofila nel complesso iter che ha portato al recente riconoscimento della specialità a livello europeo”.

28/09/2026

And after a very successful world conference It s a time for congratulations!

We warmly congratulate the newly elected FIMS - International Federation of Sports Medicine Council of Delegates

Professor Fabio Pigozzi was re- elected as a President and there are new member at 2026-2030 Executive Committee

Santiago, Chile, 25 September 2026

On 25 September 2026, in Santiago, Chile, the FIMS Council of Delegates convened during the ###IX FIMS World Congress of Sports Medicine and elected the new Executive Committee for the 2026-2030 term.

Prof. Fabio Pigozzi (Italy), Professor of Internal Medicine at the University of Rome "Foro Italico", was unanimously re-elected as President.

Prof. José Kawazoe Lazzoli (Brazil) was also unanimously re-elected as Secretary General.

The elected Vice Presidents are:

1st Vice President: Prof. Sandra Rozenštoka (Latvia)
2nd Vice President: Dr Ana Virginis Cintrón-Rodríguez (Puerto Rico)
3rd Vice President: Prof. Maher Zahar (Tunisia)
4th Vice President: Prof. Patrick Yung Shu Hang (Hong Kong, China)

Rafael Augusto Robles Cabrera (Guatemala) was elected Treasurer.

The elected Members of the Executive Committee, listed in order of votes received, are:

Prof. Bülent Ülkar (Türkiye)
Prof. Mark Hutchinson (USA)
Prof. Pedro Manonelles Marqueta
(Spain)
Prof. Günther Neumayr (Austria)
Prof. Xia Zhang (China)
Dr Andrea Mattiozzi (Uruguay)
Dr Andrew Jowett (Australia)
Dr Khaled Massoud Hassan Hussein (Egypt)

Prof. Eduardo Enrique De Rose (Brazil) continues to serve on the Executive Committee as Honorary President for Life.

During its first meeting, the newly elected Executive Committee appointed the Chairs of the FIMS Commissions, who serve as ex officio members of the Executive Committee:

Prof. Yannis Pitsiladis (Hong Kong, China), Chair of the Scientific Commission
Prof. Dimitri Constantinou (South Africa), Chair of the Education Commission
Dr Christian Schneider (Germany), Chair of the Interfederal Commission
and our president Prof Maurizio Casasco (Italy), Chair of the Development Commission.

Congratulations to all and special wishes to European board members ! So proud of you !

27/09/2026

Day 1 FIMS - International Federation of Sports Medicine world congress Santiago 🇨🇱 !

Message from the Scientific Committee chair Professor Yannis Pitsiladis

From FIMS governance to packed scientific sessions; from athlete health to exercise medicine; from established leaders to the next generation; and from centuries-old observations to artificial intelligence — this is the breadth of modern sports medicine.
And most importantly, people were talking, questioning, participating, challenging each other and enjoying being together again as one international community.

One world. One international sports medicine community.

27/09/2026

DAY 2 IN SANTIAGO - BIG QUESTIONS, BRAVE CONVERSATIONS

Another post- reflections from the president of the scientific committee FIMS - International Federation of Sports Medicine Prof Yannis Pitsiladis

Another extraordinary day at the 39th
FIMS World Congress of Sports Medicine - although for me it has involved plenty of running between scientific sessions, meetings and FIMS responsibilities!
What I have managed to experience has been exceptional.

The day began with our FIMS President, Prof. Fabio Pigozzi, delivering an important message on The Olympic Health Legacy. The legacy of sport cannot simply be medals and performances. It must also mean healthier, more active and longer lives.
Then came one of the sessions I had most been looking forward to: s*x, gender and eligibility in sport.

Dr Madeleine Pape, OLY gave a courageous and thought-provoking presentation on SRY gene screening in women's sport, challenging sports medicine to examine the evidence, ethics, athlete consequences and our professional responsibilities.

And I was particularly proud to listen to Dr Blair Hamilton
I had the privilege of being involved in Blair's PhD journey at the University of Brighton, and watching her deliver such an inspiring, scientifically grounded and deeply human contribution today was very special.
Blair reminded us that behind every policy, eligibility rule and scientific argument are real athletes and real lives. We do not have to agree on every aspect of these difficult questions, but we must listen, challenge assumptions, generate better evidence and treat one another with respect.

Then I was running again!

The afternoon brought another major
FIMS Special Session, which I had the privilege of co-chairing with President Pigozzi: The Future of Anti-Doping:
Science, Detection and Sports Justice.
Prof. Olivier Rabin presented WADA's vision for the future of science and innovation, from emerging technologies and new substances to the continuing evolution of anti-doping science.
Prof. Michael Geistlinger brought the equally essential perspective of sports justice, law and athletes' rights.
Together they raised fundamental questions: What can science detect?
What should sport regulate? What constitutes sufficient evidence? And how do we protect clean sport while protecting the individual athlete?
And then another part of FIMS: the Council of Delegates, bringing together our national sports medicine associations to discuss the governance, priorities and future of our Federation.
A World Congress is not only where we present science — it is where an international community decides how we turn science into action.
And Day 2 is still not finished!




new substances to the continuing evolution of anti-doping science.
Prof. Michael Geistlinger brought the equally essential perspective of sports justice, law and athletes' rights.
Together they raised fundamental questions: What can science detect?
What should sport regulate? What constitutes sufficient evidence? And how do we protect clean sport while protecting the individual athlete?
And then another part of FIMS: the Council of Delegates, bringing together our national sports medicine associations to discuss the governance, priorities and future of our Federation.

A World Congress is not only where we present science — it is where an international community decides how we turn science into action.

27/09/2026

A very long DAY 2 at the FIMS - International Federation of Sports Medicine world congress in Santiago 🇨🇱
Our FIMS Council of Delegates has now concluded after four very full hours from 16:00. Inevitably, that meant many of us had to miss some of the outstanding science continuing elsewhere in the Congress.
One I was particularly disappointed to miss was Dr Andrew Massey, FIFA
Director of Medical, delivering his keynote, "Global Perspectives in Football Medicine and Athlete Management."
But the feedback was fantastic. A packed room, tremendous engagement and an exceptionally well-received presentation addressing some of the major challenges in global football medicine — including health surveillance, concussion, heading and the responsibility to protect players health across the much ! Congratulations Andy — and thank you for bringing FIFA Medical to the FIMS World Congress. The photographs tell the story!
Meanwhile, the Council of Delegates completed another important chapter for FIMS, with Prof. Fabio Pigozzi re-elected as President and the new Executive Committee elected.
And while the rest of us are now finally heading to dinner, the new Executive Committee is still working! They have gone directly into their first meeting to appoint the co-opted members and begin the work of the new term.
Science in one room. Governance in another. Friendship around the dinner table.
A very full Day 2 in Santiago - and a wonderful reminder of what the FIMS family is all about.
Medicine for Sport. Sport for Health.

wonderful reminder of what the FIMS family is all about. LO
Medicine for Sport. Sport for Health.

27/09/2026

Message from the president of the FIMS - International Federation of Sports Medicine Scientific committee Professor Yannis Pitsiladis !

DAY 3 IN SANTIAGO chile 🇨🇱 FROM
COLLABORATION TO GLOBAL HEALTH

Another full day at the 39th FIMS World Congress of Sports Medicine. With many excellent sessions running
simultaneously, these were the parts of today's programme I had the opportunity to attend.
We began with four hours devoted to the
FIMS Collaborating Centres of Sports Medicine (CCSM), with the active centres presenting their work, achievements, research, education and future plans. One particularly important outcome was agreement that, with the network now reaching 31 FIMS Collaborating Centres, we need a formal process of reaccreditation to ensure that the FIMS designation continues to represent active excellence. A proposal will now be developed, potentially introducing reaccreditation every 3-5 years.
Later, I coordinated FIMS Scientific Commission Symposium - "Frontiers in Sports Medicine: From Athlete Health to Population Wellbeing." Three excellent contributions demonstrated the breadth of modern sports medicine: Viktoriya Badtieva on the athlete's heart under increasing physical loads; Sandra Rozenstoka on sport-specific adaptations of the athletic neck and implications for athlete health; and Jürgen Steinacker on Long COVID and ME/CFS and what sports physicians need to know. Different areas, but a common responsibility: understand the science, measure carefully and protect health.
Straight afterwards, Willem van Mechelen and I coordinated the Global Alliance session.
Willem addressed the cost-effectiveness and nationwide roll-out of personalised lifestyle intervention; Jürgen moved the discussion from individuals to populations; and I concluded with the achievements of the Global Alliance and the essential next steps.

The challenge is enormous. Physical inactivity, obesity and chronic disease continue to rise despite decades of evidence. An important part of the discussion was how to make the Global Alliance genuinely different from the many well-intentioned physical-activity initiatives that have come before it but struggled to deliver sustained population-level change. The answer was not to reinvent everything. Instead, we need to identify the very best of what has already worked, bring those approaches together, invest properly in implementation, and adapt solutions to be culturally relevant to the communities they are intended to serve. We also need both carrots and sticks — creating incentives for healthier choices while being prepared to change the environments, systems and policies that perpetuate inactivity. Above all, we need to think outside the box. If we simply repeat what has been done before, we should not expect a different result.

Another wonderful day for the FIMS family in Santiago.
Medicine for Sport. Sport for Health.