Evente

Veliaj presents the medal of gratitude to the world champion in weightlifting, Briken Çalja

Veliaj presents the medal of gratitude to the world champion in weightlifting,

The Mayor of Tirana, Erion Veliaj received in a meeting the world champion in weightlifting, Briken Çalja, the weightlifter Erkand Qerimaj and the Albanian delegation that participated in the World Cup in Uzbekistan. Veliaj praised the athletes for the historic results achieved in the world weightlifting and for the dignified representation of our national team and Sport-Club Tirana.

While handing the medal of gratitude to the champion Briken Çalja, Veliaj emphasized that this is the best message for the young men and women of the city.

"Our weightlifting team returned from Uzbekistan with the best results in the last 30 years. Brikeni is an extraordinary pride, today world champion. Being the best in the world in a field means that you have worked with extraordinary dedication, diligence and passion. These are the resolutions we need for 2022, more boys and girls who do things with passion, diligence, clean work. Also Erkandi, who for practical effect is the third, but technically the fourth, has made us proud and has performed very well. I think we are well prepared with a team worthy of the Paris Olympics. This medal is an acknowledgment from our city and club. It is a great fortune that the Olympic team is from the Sports Club of Tirana, but I want that in addition to the sports institution, we work hard for another institution, the institution of gratitude, to say thank you to the other, well done! I want to build the institution of gratitude with this medal and say: I am proud of you, move forward ", underlined Veliaj.

The Mayor underlined that the support for sports will continue with the aim of its massification. He announced the opening of 4 new gyms, while sports facilities in the new schools can be used by sports classes and the community.

"Even in Kombinat, Kodër-Kamëz, Sauk, Fresku, Dajt, we will be prepared with 4 new gyms, which we would like to make available for a generation of boys and gocash, who see Briken, Erkand, Krenar, Evangelia, say I want to be like them when I grow up. To do well with lessons, to do a lot of sports, to live a healthy life and to be useful ", declared Veliaj.

The world champion in weightlifting, Briken Çalja, thanked the Municipality of Tirana for supporting sports, where the results were not lacking.

"It is a dream come true. I thank my family for being dedicated and without question the Federation, for being the promoter and motivator. I thank the Municipality and the Club of Tirana, who have been supportive all the time, but without forgetting the Olympic Community, which has done everything for us to have a dignified representation ", said Çalja.

The well-known Albanian weightlifter, Erkand Qerimaj, who lost the podium by only 1 kg, stressed that the changes and the improvement of the treatment of athletes is a motive for increasing the results.

"I want to thank the Mayor for the support he has given us. From the Olympics in 9th place and Uzbekistan in fourth place for 1 kg, in Europe we will be even higher. We must promote it so that young people approach sports. With all the support given by the Mayor and the Prime Minister, we will succeed. The changes made, the financing that has been given for sports, and the change of the decision of the Council of Ministers to increase the bonuses, and the treatment of the Tirana Club, all these are positive and motivate us to give more ", declared Qerimaj.

The President of the Federation, Elez Gjoza thanked the mayor for the special attention he has shown to the promotion of sports.

"I will say thank you to the mayor of Tirana for the support he has constantly given to sports, since I became president of this federation. I am not exaggerating when I say that the mayor and the Municipality of Tirana have lived with the concerns, difficulties and sacrifices of this sport. We had promised these medals to the Albanians and finally we made it a reality, we brought these 3 important medals to Albania. It is not only the success of these two boys, their families, passionate coaches, who have made night and day to produce these results, but it is an extraordinary action of the federation, athletes, coaches in particular with the Municipality of Tirana , with the Ministry and the Olympic Community. I want to guarantee today that 2022 will speak Albanian.