Albanian Olympic team was honored with a ceremony at the Ministry of Education and Sports for their remarkable performance at the Paris 2024 Olympics. Athletes Chermen Valiev and Islam Dudaev made history by winning two bronze medals and raising the national flag high.

Minister Ogerta Manastirliu praised the team’s dedication and achievements, emphasizing that their success reflects years of hard work, sacrifices, and the support from the National Olympic Committee (KOKSH) and the government.

Manastirliu announced that the medalists will receive special rewards under a new government incentive program for top athletes. She highlighted that the government has long provided rewards for medalists and their coaches to further motivate athletes toward achieving even greater success on the global stage.

“It is a pleasure to express our gratitude. You have made us proud by raising our national flag high. This historic event, winning two bronze Olympic medals, is not only a personal triumph but also a collective victory. I want to thank our medalists for their outstanding performance. The government is committed to supporting athletes through enhanced funding for federations, including additional resources for wrestling. The new reward system includes special incentives for our medalists. We will continue to support them through this system,” said Manastirliu.

This is the first time Albania has won two bronze medals at the Olympics, with Dudaev and Valiev competing in the 65 kg and 74 kg categories in freestyle wrestling at Paris 2024.

/a.p./