The Albanian sports stars who excelled on the international stage in 2024 were honored tonight at a special gala event, attended by Prime Minister Edi Rama, Minister of Education and Sports Ogerta Manastirliu, Minister of State for Youth and Children Bora Muzhaqi, Mayor of Tirana Erion Veliaj, President of the Albanian National Olympic Committee Fidel Ylli, leaders of national sports federations, as well as other prominent figures from Albanian sports throughout the years.

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It was truly an honor and a pleasure to have the opportunity to present this trophy at the annual ceremony of the Olympic Committee to a young woman, an Albanian cyclist who trains in Italy but represents our country. She is one of the great promises of a new generation of athletes who, following the heroic example of Elezi and the Federation he leads, and even inspired by the ‘jealousy’ for the champion team that Elezi has built, are emerging in various disciplines. And beyond the joke, which is only half the truth, I genuinely want to express my appreciation for the President of the Olympic Committee, setting aside any conflict of interest I may have as a friend from our days in sports. But, for the sake of truth, more than just a friend back then, I considered Fidel my idol because he was a champion with great fame in the sports world and especially in the world of women’s sports. Year after year, he collected titles, astonishing everyone with the fact that, when you looked at him, he didn’t appear like the others. But when he stepped onto the mat, he defeated all those who seemed stronger than him. And I believe the same thing is happening with the Olympic Committee.

It’s absolutely true that I was very positively impressed when Thomas Bach, the President of all Olympic Committees, expressed extraordinary appreciation for the Albanian Olympic Committee. He praised its passion for organizing, its seriousness, and the fact that, despite being a very small committee, it has stood out, in his words, and I completely understand why. This is due to the numerous innovations it has introduced, whether it’s the large sports movement in schools, the digital broadcasting of activities by the Committee and federations, or most recently, there was no way this could have happened differently. I’ve been waiting for this for a long time: The Olympic Committee’s own store for sportswear, which is truly of a high standard, and I’m confident it will generate revenue for the Committee as well.

That’s why today I didn’t accept Fidel’s invitation to come wearing a bow tie and tails. I came like this because I have the athletes of the Olympic Committee with me, and as someone with expertise in athletics, I can say that they will achieve great success if we give them a little promotion. We don’t need many people for this—just Fidel, Elezi, the medal winners, and an advertising campaign led by the President of the Olympic Committee, who, as you all know very well, when it comes to clothing, is a step ahead of the rest of us.

While I thank and appreciate the Committee, I want to extend special recognition to the leaders of several federations, to the presidents of these federations.

I have mentioned Elezi’s name several times, and I repeat it for one reason: I stand in solidarity with him because there have been many attacks and much jealousy surrounding him due to his successes. But without a doubt, a special recognition and appreciation go to everything he does daily and everything that has contributed to our national team at all levels, starting from the youngest athletes. The other federations deserve the same, such as the Wrestling Federation, the Chess Federation, and the Athletics Federation. I hope that the constructive conflict within the Athletics Federation will be resolved successfully, and that everyone will cooperate, regardless of who the president is. In athletics, we have very few who are the best, and there shouldn’t be any division between them. So, I would urge them to cooperate.

I also want to thank the heroic president of the Ski Federation, who is an example of how far passion can take us. I apologize if I forget anyone, but without a doubt, all of you here deserve recognition, respect, and gratitude for your contributions—whether on the field of competition, as coaches, as support staff, or as part of the technical teams of federations. I want to assure you that this special support we’ve dedicated to sports, by increasing financial contributions to the Committee, will continue to grow.

For the record, I’ve seen the results that Fidel has shown me, as well as many champions from younger age groups, which promises even more champions in the years to come. This is a challenge in itself for our budget, because we’ve taken on specific support for champions. Rest assured, we will stand strong with dignity and meet all our commitments to elite athletes. At the same time, I urge Fidel, in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, to expand the range of sports disciplines in schools.

It’s not enough to only have volleyball and basketball for both women and men; we need to introduce other sports as well. These sports don’t require significant costs, they are equally demanding in terms of participation, but they are essential. What we need is an organization that will bring chess, wrestling, weightlifting, and all these disciplines into schools as soon as possible. Even in the case of these sports, it’s not necessary for schools to produce athletes who will win championships, but they will enhance the educational value and raise the importance of sports in the lives of young people. They will help them become more agile in the sports where they show the most potential, and even if, in the end, they remain just part of their sports culture and don’t continue with competitions, it will still have been beneficial.

So, dear Fidel, we need to expand the range of activities in schools, and we are ready, as always, to support the Albanian National Olympic Committee (KOKSH) with all our resources, especially considering the exceptional Secretary-General you have, whom you gave special recognition to today.

I don’t want to take up more time, as I’ve already spoken for quite a while, which isn’t my usual style, but I want to thank you once again.

Thank you once again, with respect, gratitude, and support. Our support for you and your support for all the boys and girls of this country—because the more you connect them to sports, the more we will help them become good citizens and valuable members of society.      Thank you!”