Dear Madams/Sirs

In 2004 we will have the honour and pleasure to welcome you in Drama!

The land of Arts and Culture.
The Region of Beauty and Harmony.
The city of Synthesis of Contrasts.
The area of Taste, Entertainment, Thought and Rumination.
The land of Mountains, Wood, Marble, Waters and Stockbreeding.
Drama of Sports, History, Tradition, Devotion and Duty.
The land of Earth Colors and Vivid Green.
Drama of Labor, Anguish, but also Hope.
Drama created by Nature in its best moments.
Drama, where Hospitality is Nourished, Taught, Worshiped and Practised as a Relegion.

We will show you areas untouched by the barbarity of Cement and Asphalt, guide you to secret lands that remain unexplored treasures and you will meet places where visit resembles a holy pilgrimage to nature.

The Prefect of Drama
Konstantinos Evmiridis

Dear Colleagues,

On behalf of the M.C. of the Sports Medicine Association of Greece we have the pleasure to inform you that we have undertaken the organization of the 13th Balkan Sports Medicine Congress, 7th International Congress of Sports Medicine Association of Greece and 4th Greek-Cypriot Sports Medicine Congress, a generally recognized institution during the last decade. Simultaneously, it constitutes a continuation of the previous six International Sports Medicine Congresses of Association of Greece and the successful cooperation with the adjacent Cyprus Sports Medicine Association. As it is known, the Sports Medicine Association of Greece, following its acceptance by the International Sports Medicine Association (FIMS) as a regular member and representative of our country, has provided us with the opportunity to access Sports Medicine activities world-wide.
The pleasant surprise of the congress is that Drama, with the lead of its Prefect, Konstantinos Evmiridis, will be the host city. In that way, in the historic city of Macedonia, the conventioneers, apart from the very high level scientific program, will be able to enjoy with their accompanying persons, the beauty of this city of the border.
The scientific program is composed of introductions to important Sports Medicine topics, symposia, posters, free announcements and practical workshops.
Given the fact that a large number of scientists of diverse specialties are involved in Sports Medicine, and that constitutes an important and integral part of Medicine, we hope that all interested scientists will respond positively to this invitation so that this congress will be successful.

For the MC of the Sports Medicine Association of Greece

Dear Colleagues and Friends

It is my great pleasure to announce the 13th Balkan Sports Medicine Congress, which is held in conjunction with the 4th Greek-Cypriot Sports Medicine Congress and the 7th International Congress of Sports Medicine Association of Greece and which will take place in Drama, Greece from 29/4 to 2/5, 2004.
This congress is organized by the Sports Medicine Association of Greece in collaboration with the Cyprus Association of Sports Medicine and hosted by the Prefect of Drama.
The Balkan Congress has a long history and a tradition of high standards of scientific achievements.
This time we are fortunate and honored to have with us, in this great scientific event, the Executive Committee of the European Federation of Sports Medicine Associations (EFSM) with its Scientific Commission.
We are looking with anticipation and expectation for a superb congress.
You must all attend and show with your scientific contribution, the long tradition and high standards of Sports Medicine of the Balkan Countries.
Looking forward to meet you all, to this great congress.

Dr. Costas Christodoulakis, MD
President of the Cyprus Association of Sports Medicine
Vice-President of the European Federation of Sports Medicine
Treasurer of FIMS

It is a great honor and pleasure for me, as the acting president of the European Federation of Sports Medicine Associations, to address a warm welcome to all sports physicians, scientists of different specialities, coaches, trainers and all who are interested to participate in the 13th Balkan Congress on Sports Medicine, which will be held in conjunction with the 4th Greek-Cypriot Sports Medicine Congress and the 7th International Congress of Sports Medicine Association of Greece in Drama from 29-4 to 2-5, 2004. Sports Medicine is of growing interest as a speciality which covers research, education and practice of physical activity and sports as essential component of health care and prevention, the medical management of competitive and recreational athletes and a lot of other health and performance related topics of the whole life span of men. This growing importance is witnessed by the increasing number of congresses, scientific symposiums, post gradual education programs and also the integration of Sports Medicine into the curricula of the Medical Schools/Medical Universities.
The “Balkan Sports Medicine Association” is a very active one, shown by the high numbers of regularly organized congresses and meetings in the region. The European Federation of Sports Medicine appreciates these activities very much, having strong partners who take care on regularly exchange of latest scientific research, education and communication with a high scientific level in the just mentioned important field of sports medicine. Therefore, as the president of EFSM, it is a pleasure and honour for me to invite the doctors, sport physicians and sports scientists of all the European Continent as well as from all the other continents to attend this 13th Balkan Congress on Sports Medicine, to learn about the latest developments in our fields of interests, to come together not only during the scientific program but also during the social events, to make new friends and to enjoy all of this in the beautiful country of Greece.

Prof. Norbert Bachl
President of European Federation of Sports Medicine

On behalf of the International Federation of Sports Medicine (FIMS), it is my greatest pleasure and honor to send a congratulatory note to the 13th Balkan Sports Medicine Congress, 7th International Congress of Sports Medicine Association of Greece and 4th Greek-CyprusCypriot Sports Medicine Congress to be held in Drama from April 29 to May 2, 2004.
As FIMS marches forward beyond the monumental 75th Anniversary year of 2003, we will maximize our strength and fraternity through our National Member Associations, one of the leading figures would be the Sports Medicine Association of Greece. I am indeed thrilled to see such a nice combination of meetings of the important partners of sport medicine in this fascinating region with enormous growth in the development of international sports. With your diversified historical and cultural heritage, we expect a very colorful and rewarding exchange of new idea and sharing of practices in the promotion of sports medicine. Above all, the personal networking, the renewal of friendship and the widening of our inter-continental communication will be most cherished.
FIMS will continue our dedicated mission to achieve the targets, with the launch of the FIMS Fellows, the Collaborating Centre of Excellence in Sports Medicine and facilitation of networking through our webs. We welcome each and everyone of your esteemed associations to join this world fraternity of sport medicine!

Professor KM Chan
FIMS President