Bangkok, Thailand, March 16, 2023: A number of Olympians will be at the forefront of the two-day Olympic Council of Asia Athletes Forum which will get underway in Bangkok on Saturday, March 18.
India’s celebrated shooter Abhinav Bindra, Jordan’s taekwondo star Nadin Dawani and Afghanistan female cyclist Masomah Ali Zada, a member of the IOC Refugee Team at Tokyo 2020, are a few of the Olympians who have gathered for the forum.
“This is the first time the Athletes’ Committees from across Asia are meeting since 2018, and we are pleased to announce that 43 National Olympic Committees will be represented for this key meeting,” revealed Tony Tarraf, OCA Head of Athletes Development Department and Special Projects.
The event will be spearheaded by Mikako Kotani, OCA Athletes’ Committee Chair and Executive Board member. A total of 88 participants – 46 men and 42 women – from the 43 NOC Athletes’ Committees have gathered for the March 18-19 meetings at the Centara Grand Hotel in Bangkok.
The comprehensive programme will kick-off with a video message from IOC President Thomas Bach, followed by a welcome speech from OCA Director General Husain Al Musallam.
“We have a varied panel of speakers, including a few from the International Olympic Committee as well as Olympic Solidarity. This workshop will be immensely beneficial to all Athletes’ Committees in our region,” Tarraf noted.
Four main topics will be under discussion during the two days. They are: Safeguarding: protecting athletes from harassment and abuse in sport; Prevention of the Manipulation of Competitions; Athletes Career Development for Sport and Beyond; and Fight against Doping.
Bindra, the first Indian to win an individual Olympic gold medal – he won in rifle shooting at the 2008 Beijing Games – will be part of a panel discussion on Athletes Career Development while Jordan’s Dawani will speak on Safeguarding. They will be among a number of Olympians who will address the meeting
“This will be an informative workshop and one that will benefit the Athletes’ Committees in Asia. Our goal is that the participants take back key knowledge so that they can apply it back home,” Tarraf added.
