FLASH
Shkruar nga Pamfleti
Alvi Karaqi won a gold medal in the sport of karate at the European Championship a few days ago. In an interview for "Panorama Sport", the Albanian champion of Europe expressed himself very happy for this success, showing the objectives he has.
" The gold medal? I feel very happy and still haven't come off the euphoria. I am glad that I am the best in Europe and that Albania has a European champion in karate after 20 years. It's normal that when you reflect, you realize that the medal has value for Albanian sport and not just for me.
Champion in Europe? It is difficult because it has not been cultivated much as a sport and it has not been supported financially and there has been a decline. There has been a decline in quality and when the athletes move to the Senior category, they need finance and have not been supported even though Albania has had talent. Patience has stopped and they have not continued.
The difficulty? It was participation as a start because the European Games have qualification and only the best participate. This was a difficulty, as I had to qualify among the best 7, but I respected it for myself. When it came to competing and playing with the best, it took a lot of concentration to beat them on a lucky day. It was a lucky day.
I don't have a rich vocabulary to describe what happened. I cried and this medal was very important after the injuries, suspensions and losses that I had and that lowered my morale. This joy is not only for the victory but as a result of all the years.
Dedication? I dedicate it to many people, but mainly to my family, the coach, and normally to all of Albania because I felt proud to have sung the national anthem.
Silver medal? I was stressed because I didn't know if I would qualify and when I entered the medal zone I knew I had qualified. I had a lot of emotions and many hours of rest and during those hours I visualized the victory and I was very calm. I was convinced from the semi-final that no one could beat me. I broke the ice.
Luiza Gega? I wish them a lot for the victory. We have not had personal contact but only with comments and I hope that we will meet in everyday life as well. I am very happy and I hope that Alban Beqiri also enters the medal zone today.
Albania? Why not? In 2013 when Kosovo was still isolated in sports, Bujar Nishani decorated several athletes to represent Albania and not be hostage to politics. Since 2014, I have represented Albania and was runner-up in Europe. I spent a period in Kosovo with an agreement and at the end of 2019 I returned to Albania and will end my career here.
I feel sorry for myself because in 2 editions in Baku and Minsk I was for Kosovo and in the last 3 seconds I lost a medal. It was not written to win for Kosovo, but fate reserved victory for the national flag. The Federation of Kosovo also congratulated me and was the president with Fidel Ylli. It was the president of the Federation of Kosovo who gave me the medal and I am happy that the two presidents witnessed this victory.
Family? They could not be, but they supported me non-stop. They talked to the coach a lot and I felt the spiritual support.
The holidays? I want to rest a bit in beautiful Dhërmi and then see what plans I have for the future. I see the condition of the body and the work I do because I am a doctor. The goal is to participate in the Balkan championship in September because it is held in September. The Balkans have many champions and this means that there will be great champions and it is worth following by people who are not part of karate.
Lini një Përgjigje