Athens silver medallist Claudia to address athletes career programme meet

Athens Olympics silver medal winning fencer Claudia Bokel, former chairperson of the IOCs Athletics Commission and Executive Board member, will be addressing a select gathering of players and sports administrators on the Athletes Career Programme (ACP) here on Wednesday.

Claudia had represented Germany in Atlanta and Sydney Games in 1996 and 2000 but had to wait for a podium finish until the 2004 Games.

The three-time Olympian is an ambassador and senior facilitator of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) ACP outreach programme which helps prepare athletes for their career transition.

The programme is a first such initiative by the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) and it has chosen the capital and the World Tour India Open as the launch pad to introduce to athletes, including those who have come to participate in the $150,000 event which began at the Thyagaraj Stadium here on Tuesday, the career options that lay ahead of them.

Making most of the occasion, the ITTF has also roped in world No. 8 Vladimir Samsonov to share his viewpoints on ACP and what is in store for the athletes, both while being active and post-retirement.

Their efforts will be coordinated by ITTF Education and Training Director Polona Cehovin, and Daniela Gomes, also an ITTF Development, Education and Training projects official.

Claudia, who holds a masters degree in Chemistry, completed her term with IOC as the Athletes' Commission chairperson soon after the2016 Rio Games.

Ever since, she has taken up charge as head of the IOC and IPC Athlete Career Programme with the Adecco Group, which is a HRD partner of the IOC. Incidentally, the Adecco Group along IOC had co-founded the programme way back in 2005.

The ACP, to be held over two sessions on February 15 and 16, presents a rare opportunity to players as they will get to hear on the salient features of the programme which has been shaped to maximize the advantage of being a sportsperson in securing a job or turning oneself a thorough professional, particularly after one gives up playing.

--IANS

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