OPAP, the biggest supporter of Greek sports, and the Academy of KAE Panathinaikos OPAP announced their cooperation for the implementation of the social and sports program PAO BC Academy ASD. Specifically, this is an initiative that started in April 2019, with the aim of including children with autism spectrum disorders in a team sports program, so that they can enjoy the benefits that sport offers to their health. The program is tailored to the needs of children and is supported by specialized coaches, escorts, psychologists, as well as doctors who attend all training sessions.
The cooperation for the PAO BC Academy ASD program was announced on Wednesday, December 8, 2021, at the Altion Arena / OAKA Indoor Basketball Court, in the presence of the OPAP management, the management, players and members of the coaching staff of KAE Panathinaikos OPAP and media representatives.
The Executive Chairman of OPAP, Mr. Camille Ziegler, said: “It is with great pleasure that we present today our partnership with PAO BC Academy ASD. As you know, for decades, OPAP is the biggest supporter of Greek society and sports. At the same time, we are emphasizing a better future for the younger generation. We are therefore proud to participate in this very important initiative, which promotes participation and equal opportunities in sport. I want to wish the best to the children and their parents. I hope you enjoy the game. I would also like to congratulate the people of Panathinaikos OPAP for the excellent work in this important field “.
The Deputy CEO of OPAP, Mr. Odysseas Christoforou, stressed: “I believe that today in OAKA an important moment is recorded, as OPAP reunites its forces with Panathinaikos, so that basketball can once again show its social face. At OPAP, we are truly proud to support the PAO BC Academy ASD program, which contributes substantially to the physical and mental health of dozens of children on the autism spectrum. This is a commendable and important effort, which we could not fail to embrace. After all, for OPAP, sports and social contribution are interrelated concepts “.
The President of KAE Panathinaikos OPAP, Mr. Panagiotis Triantopoulos, he underlined: “What we do is over groups and colors. When we started the Academy, we wanted it to be based on the idea and values of Panathinaikos basketball. It is not important to make champions, but better people. It is important for the children to be happy, to learn to respect their teammate and opponent and to help Greek society as much as possible. In this context, three years ago, we started the PAO BC Academy ASD program. There was a shocking response from the children and great trust from the parents, which filled us with emotion. We want to thank OPAP, which actively supports this very important effort. “I would like to call on the state and anyone else who can support such programs, because our society really needs them.”
The General Manager of KAE Panathinaikos OPAP, Mr. Francis Albert, stated: “An event that took place in a part of the Academy, three years ago, created a huge concern for us. Because of this, we started looking for what we could do to help the children and their families. From the idea to the implementation was a long way. Finally, we succeeded and started the section for children belonging to the autism spectrum. I would like to thank all the people of the Panathinaikos Academy and KAE, who worked hard so that we can give joy to 60-70 families at this time. I also want to thank all those who were by our side in this project and of course OPAP, which has embraced it from the first moment and is a guarantee that in the future we will do more and better things “.
The psychologist of PAO BC Academy ASD, Mr. Manolis Tsagarakis, noted: “From the first day, when we took this initiative, we faced challenges and difficulties. Usually, though, when one goes against a difficulty, one is rewarded. So it was with us. Our reward is the progress of the children. We see that they are more communicative, more engaged in their daily life, escaping from the sedentary routine. May all the groups create such sections for the children “.
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