Author: Klevis Paloka
There are many Albanian sports that have been forgotten or that survive in very difficult conditions. One of these sports that is practiced is Billiards. Although many people mostly see it as a game to have fun and spend free time, this sport is not like that for the talented Kurbin Eklent Kaçi, who just a few months ago was declared world champion in billiards.
Although only 22 years old, Kaçi, in addition to being declared world champion, has topped the world billiards ranking for many months. He has also been part of the representatives of Europe in the major competition Mosconi Cup, a competition that takes place between the 5 best billiard players of Europe and the United States of America. But even though he has won many titles and tournaments both in Europe and in the world, the 22-year-old has not received any support from the Albanian state.
"I have won world and European titles and many tournaments around the world and I continue to travel at my own expense, at least the trips to important world and European championships should be financed by the state because I am raising the value of the flag, there is no higher than champion or first in the world in the rankings ," Kaçi said for the Albanian Center for Quality Journalism.
The Kurbina champion gives a message to the Albanian state, stating that he is thinking of representing another state if this does not change.
"My message to state institutions is that at least elite athletes with world titles should be supported. If it weren't for me, billiards in Albania would be dead, now the whole world knows Albania when billiards is mentioned. I can represent any country I want, because I had plans as an alternative, but lately I've been thinking about playing for another country ," the world billiards champion concludes the interview.
Kaçi would not be the first case, since wrestler Elis Guri decided to represent another state, since there was no financial support from the Albanian state. He decided to represent the country of Bulgaria where he managed to secure medals in both European and world championships.
European Kick-Boxing Champion, Ilda Lelo: We asked for financial support, they sent us to the Ministry with nice words
Another sport that has started to be practiced in Albania in recent years is Kick-Boxing, a martial art that has merged two popular sports such as sports and karate.
The efforts to spread this sport in our country have been almost too small and there are few athletes who have achieved success or become known by dealing with Kick-Boxing. There are many who consider kick-boxing as a men's sport, but in fact the opposite has happened in Albania, as our country has a European champion in this sport. It is about Ilda Lelon, who since 2019 holds the title of European champion in the 60 kg, K1 style and world runner-up in the 62,5 kg, LowKick style.
Although she has won these titles, the 28-year-old has not received support from the Albanian state, which has caused her not to participate in many competitions.
"I have been competing professionally for about 4 years, but unfortunately the experiences have not been enough for so long due to the economic difficulty of participating in international competitions. After so many years in this sport, despite the results and participation in many national and international activities, I have not had any support from the relevant ministry," says Lelo.
Article 27 of the law on sports approved by the Albanian government in 2017 states that
"1. Athletes who benefit from high-level status, according to sports results in official international activities:
- "Olympic record", "world record", "European record", "Mediterranean record", "Balkan record", "first to eighth place in the Olympic Games", "first to eighth place in the world championships" and "first to sixth place in European championships", benefit from treatment, reward and integration into the education system with sports, national security and defense, employment in the structures of the Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of the Interior".
However, the European champion emphasizes that he has also made a request to the Ministry of Education or even to KOKSH, but he has not received any response. According to Lelo, the state's lack of support for small sports penalizes many talented young people.
" We have requested, based on the law on sports achievements. We have sent a request to the ministry or to the National Sports Council, but they have sent us with nice words, as some of those in leadership positions who have nothing to do with sports, but are coincidentally in those positions, know best. It is unfortunate because Albania has many talented young people who need support that our state can best provide, and the feedback we will receive from them will be twice as great ," emphasizes the 28-year-old from Vlora.
In the end, Lelo, just like the talent in billiards, has a message to the Albanian state.
"Sport is life, it is health, culture, it is discipline, education. By investing in sport there is no loss, but only benefits, both emotional, physical and monetary. By supporting sport, it gives life to a country, it educates the future. Sport is as important as school in everyone's life ," concludes the European Kickboxing champion.
So, the coach of the Albanian national boxing team, Zef Gjoni, describes the sport of boxing as the most persecuted and the aid given by the state is more like a crumb.
" We are being persecuted, despite all the European and world champions we have produced, the state should have given us maximum support, especially economic, because what they give is charity, boxers live off this sport, but only here in our country, they happen to be the poorest. Without counting the infrastructure that is in dire straits, in the conditions where our boxers train, they are truly heroes who manage to compete against opponents who have all the conditions provided ," Gjoni told ACQJ.
He emphasizes that they have made many requests both in the Municipality of Shkodra and in other state institutions, but they have only received empty promises.
" We have made requests to the Municipality of Shkodra, the Ministry of Sports and all other state instances, we have received praise for the work we have done, but when it comes to financial support there is no place, because I can say that our boxers are the poorest in Europe and are not treated as they deserve ," concludes the coach of the Albanian national boxing team.
Has the time come for the adoption of the sponsorship law?
Sports journalist Ervin Baku says it's a big scandal that our athletes don't get proper support.
"It is a scandal that our athletes do not receive the proper economic support and support in representing Albania in international activities. I see it as a great scandal and the greatest shamelessness is that then when they become successful, our politicians who have done nothing for sports congratulate them and take credit for the achievements of these athletes, it is a scandal. It is a very, very big scandal that needs to be fixed an hour ago, because they represent Albania, raise our national flag and they need to be treated as they deserve and not go there with pocket money, it is a great shame ," says Baku.
Journalist Baku says that there is a risk of losing these athletes and that the only solution could be the adoption of the sponsorship law.
" We risk losing these athletes and by God's grace they can choose another country because a person has one life, we don't need to take the examples of big countries like France or Germany, it's enough to take the case of Kosovo and only the sponsorship law regulates it and gives a fantastic breath of fresh air to Albanian sports ," the sports journalist said.
The President of KOKSH: Agreed on the sponsorship, the athletes receive the reward by law
Unlike Baku, the president of the Albanian National Olympic Committee (KOKSH), Fidel Ylli, also the relator of the sports law, emphasizes that this law is in force and that any athlete who achieves achievements based on Article 27 of the sports law receives a reward and elite athlete status.
" There is nothing for the KOKSH to think, because this is what the law has thought, so the legislators have put in parliament that whoever becomes a champion according to Article 27 of the sports law, are elite athletes, the law says it, the committee does not say it, I was the rapporteur of the law and the law is in force and the law says that any athlete who has these results in these activities is called an elite athlete, wins the school without competition, receives a reward based on the government's decision that has set the amount and receives all the pensions, insurance that an elite athlete has. This is already established by law, it is no longer even at the will of the minister, the prime minister or the committee" , says Ylli.
Ylli emphasizes that more cooperation between institutions is needed.
" These athletes make us proud, and we are obliged to have institutional cooperation, namely the Olympic Committee, federation, ministry, government, so that these athletes represent Albania because they are our best ambassadors ," emphasizes the president of the NAC.
Even President Ylli attaches importance to the sponsorship law, which must be approved by the government as soon as possible. According to him, the earthquake and the pandemic have influenced the government not to focus on sports.
" I have raised it very loudly, this law is still pending, it is in the hands of the government, it was our bad luck with the earthquake and the pandemic that the proper attention was not paid to sports, but it was seen in people's health, in the deaths that are happening, in the budget needed for vaccines. But this law is on the government's table and I will again initiate so that it has the opportunity to move, because we can no longer ask for alms from governments, or from the ministry with those minimal budgets that are given to sports. We need to do it as soon as possible because the sponsorship law will bring us a lot of money ", concludes the interview for ACQJ, the head of KOKSH, Fidel Ylli.
Let's remember that for this law, the members of the Professional Football League and the Albanian Football Federation boycotted the development of the Albanian Football Championship a year ago for several months, while they received the promise that this law would be approved before the parliamentary elections in April 2021.
Even former MP Ylli, in an interview for the TVSH show " 31 Minutes " in January 2021, promised that this law would be approved within 6 months, before the creation of the new government.
Even for the coach of the national boxing team, Zef Gjoni, the sponsorship law would bring breath to the sport, since no company comes close to giving money, when it does not get something back, no matter how great the champion is.
But even though this law was approved in 2017, even according to Yllit it works fully, according to the Ministry of Education, Sports and Youth, only 9 sportsmen have benefited from the sports law and are qualified as elite sportsmen.
According to the Ministry of Education and Sports, three athletes and their coaches have benefited from this law in the last two years.
" For the year 2020-2021, 5 requests have been submitted to the MAS by athletes Briken Calja, Bajram Sina and Santiago Selimaj, as well as their coaches Sokol Bishanaku, Gerald Toska, Altin Bulku and Gëzim Zeneli, who have achieved high results and who benefit from rewards provided for in the Council of Ministers No. 687 dated 14.11.2018 "On the criteria, method of reward and benefit of treatment for sports preparation of athletes who benefit from high-level status". The requests come from the determining Federations based on the Council of Ministers No. 687 dated 14.11.2018 "On the criteria, method of reward and benefit of treatment for sports preparation of athletes who benefit from high-level status", i.e. which are within the legal framework in force. (the requests are also in the tables). There are a total of 5 requests received, which have been finalized ", it is stated in the official response of MAS.
ACQJ requested an interview with senior officials of the Ministry of Education and Sports, but received a negative response.
Another athlete who is expected to be added to this list is the boxer Alban Beqiri, who managed to secure a medal in the World Championship held in Serbia. Beqiri managed to secure a bronze medal in the 71 kilogram category.
But even though he was received with many praises from KOKSH, the boxer Beqiri emphasized to ACQJ that he went to Serbia without staff and that he was forced to pay a physiotherapist from another staff to help him.
" In any activity we have no support staff, neither a doctor nor a physiotherapist, and in this world cup they were definitely needed. I was forced to pay a physiotherapist from another staff to help me in the matches I had. We should have had someone responsible for these things, to manage them, to be with us ," Beqiri told ACQJ.
There have been many champion athletes who have won medals or been declared champions in their fields during the last decade, but these have always been accompanied by criticism from the athletes and their coaches for lack of support from the state.
