"Hello,
I am writing to you are a former national and international sport. My painful and successful story starts at the end of the 8-year school cycle. I belong to a relatively poor, but honored family. Being orphaned since childhood, life tried to live with the lack of the most expensive we had, Mom. We learned to live with grief in the soul, but still today after twenty years I still have the people who despise us and see us differently. Of course, no one is grateful to me.
After we grew up, sisters and brothers were married or emigrated; I decided to go to school and in parallel I started the sport, as I was very passionate about it. The sport that the exercise was individual combat sport (I did not specify what sport it was because I wanted to remain anonymous, but those who have information understand). I was a talented sportsman, a trainer very much because I wanted to reach the tops.
I did not have any support, either from the fitness team or from the managers, except for an assistant coach. I had no relatives who were engaged in sports, but that did not fade my passion. In the city where I was and in my category I was almost absolute.
I always remember the first nationwide championship for the young age groups I attended. I was 16 at that time. After some disqualifying matches, I came second. I was delighted though skeptical about the way they judged me during the matches. I attended school, so my heart beat me more for the sport. I wanted to fight not only for my opponents but also for myself. I wanted to believe.
After completing high school gymnastics above average, I was hoping to win the branch I preferred at the Sports University, now called the Sports Academy Vojo Kushi. I also became part of the FK Tirana team and part of the national team.
To become a student at the Sports University you would have to qualify through physical and psychological norms. As it is commonplace, in Albania the first wins were the children of former athletes, their friends and those who paid a huge sum. I did not have any money, friends, or coach I did not care.
I remember the day when we did the physical norms and I was prepared very well. The competition was big, but there were even those who did not have the idea at all, but again they had a relative or a parent, while I did not.
We were not less than 700 students, qualifying 130-150. In the physical rankings I was ranked third, before me was a gymnasium of the club Partizani and a footballer Dinamo. When the lists were listed with the winning names, I was in the 80's. I won the university, but always hesitant why I should rank so low. Of course; Lek and Friend.
I was already a 19-year-old at the peak of a sports career and a good student. I was a national champion for adults. The rule was that champions represented Albania in the international arena in the Balkan, Mediterranean, European, World Championships and Olympics qualifications. The justification was the same: We have no funds to send to you all, so 2-3 athletes will go. I did not part in the leash. The result was common except for any exclusion.
Only once I took part in the European; out of four games, two wins. The result is pleasing to me. The coach also surprised. But just so.
Being a hard sport and injuries are part of it, I had the bad luck of lumbar vertebral injury and a little later snapped a ligament on my left knee. It was impossible to continue my career and not to recover, but it needed money. Soon I became distant from all. No one was interested anymore.
Everyone has to make a claim for that. It is enough to look at Kosovo Albanian athletes such as Majlinda Kelmendi, Nora Gjakova etc. But in Albania it happens differently. It also happens with the qualifications of other talents, such as studies abroad, Eurovision, PhDs, and so on.
And so the careers closed with no desire, I finished the university with good grades, but that's it. I wanted or did not want it, I found myself an immigrant. Today, I'm happy, but the dream has remained dusty.
Nobody becomes a great athlete if there is only talent. "- Anonymous (sent to Anabel Magazine , Facebook)
