Prime Minister Edi Rama awarded today the Medals of Gratitude to two wrestlers, Chermen Valiev and Islam Dudaev, who secured bronze medals at the “Paris 2024” Olympic Games.

In his speech at the official ceremony welcoming the Olympic medalists, Rama emphasized that “these two representatives of our Olympic team have given Albania its first Olympic medals in history.”

The Prime Minister highlighted the journey that led to this achievement, stating, “These medals did not fall from the sky; they are the result of a new path of transformation enabled by support for sports.”

Rama noted that this commitment is demonstrated by the government’s decision dating back to December 2021, grounded in the Sports Law of 2017, which aimed to elevate support for athletes and create a new climate in sports.

“We honor two exceptional athletes who were not born in Albania and did not start their sports careers here, but chose Albania to continue pursuing their passion and aim for the highest peaks in their discipline,” said Rama.

He stressed the significance of this, noting that “Albania, once a country abandoned by its own children because it could not even guarantee their basic needs and lost talent that turned into gold medals for neighboring countries, has become a place that can now adopt children from other countries.”

“If this were the Albania of the past, no one would seek to be adopted by this country and represent it. Today, there are more than a few reasons to come here. Albania has managed to create one of the most secure and attractive support frameworks in our region and beyond. We have succeeded in providing those who sweat more than anyone else in the arena of sports battles not only the opportunity to train in optimal conditions but also a sustainable perspective in their athletic careers,” said Rama.

/k.s/