Michel Knepper: "Sport must be recognised at the state level"
Getty Images
The new head of the Luxembourg Olympic and Sports Committee, Michel Knepper, is a figure with an impeccable sporting record. He started his career in 1985 as president of Triathlon Luxembourg, co-founded the national triathlon federation in 2003 and has been active in COSL since 2013, first as treasurer and then as first vice-president. His assumption of leadership is not only due to his experience, but also to a sense of responsibility towards the projects he has started, including the preparations for the Small Nations Games to be held in Luxembourg in 2029.
According to L'Essentiel, Knepper's goal for the next four years is to realise the Sport 2.0 project, a new strategy covering education, health, urban planning and infrastructure. The 150-page document contains ten strategic directions that aim to fully integrate sport into everyday life. In his opinion, sport in Luxembourg is still undervalued compared to other sectors, despite the efforts of the Minister of Sport. The main problem is the lack of funding.
Knepper's team now also includes internationally renowned athletes such as Christine Majerus, a former professional cyclist, and former tennis player Anne Kremer. The presence of such figures, he says, is not only symbolic, but also strategically important - their expertise helps to build a sustainable sports policy.
One of the new president's priorities is to strengthen ties between sports federations. Only through a united voice, he believes, can more budgets and professionalisation be achieved. Interaction at the technical level is already well established, but otherwise, he admits, there is still a lack of intimacy and dialogue.
One of the objectives is to create the conditions for the emergence of new stars like track and field athlete Patrizia van der Weken. The system already has important tools in place - Sportlycée, training centres, LIHPS. Names such as Victoria Rausch, Ruben Querinjean and cyclist Marie Schreiber have passed through this structure. But as Knepper emphasises, no system guarantees success - it all depends on the athlete and his or her willingness to go all the way.
