The 11th EFSMA Congress of Sports Medicine has been held in Portoroz, Slovenia, from 3rd to 5th October 2019, organized by the Slovenian Sports Medicine Association. 

The Congress has been an important chance for scientific and cultural discussion, thanks to its rich programme focused on the protection of young athlete's health and on the prescription of physical exercise and to the paticipation of many prestigious international experts.

During the Opening Ceremony the participants had the opportunity to listen to the speeches and the greetings of the EFSMA President, Prof. Maurizio Casasco, the EFSMA Secretary General, also President of the Slovenian Sports Medicine Association, Prof. Petra Zupet, the FIMS President, Prof. Fabio Pigozzi, the President of the Slovenian Olympic Committee, Bogdan Gabrovec, and the mayor of Portorose, Đenio Zadković. 

In closing, the EFSMA Past President, Prof. Norbert Bachl, has held the Opening Lecture titled "Personalised Sport- and Exercise Medicine - A Challenge for an Efficient Future Health Management".

Read the President speech for the Opening Ceremony

In occasion of the Congress, on 4th October, it has been held the EFSMA Executive Committee Meeting, followed by the Council of Delegates Meeting.

This meeting, officiated by President Casasco, for the first time after his election in Slovenia, has seen the participation of the whole Executive Committee and of the International Federation of Sports Medicine (FIMS) President, Prof. Fabio Pigozzi. It was focused on essential themes for EFSMA, such as the recognition of Sports Medicine as a specialty in Europe, the reiforcement of the scientific production, starting from the creation of EFSMA Guidelines and in particular the "Exercise Prescription for Health", which embodies the hippocratic culture of the "right dose" of exercise for the prevention and reduction of risk of NCD's.

Following some pictures of the Opening Ceremony and the Executive Committee Meeting: