Albania at the Olympics: No medals, but plenty of spirit

05/09/2008

Albanian athletes showed their potential in Beijing, but a lack of adequate sports programmes at home kept the country off the medals podium, bloggers write.

By Balkanblogs for Southeast European Times -- 05/09/08

Romela Begaj of Albania reacts after an attempt in the women's 58kg weightlifting event at the Beijing Olympics. [Getty Images]

Albanians did not get the chance to hear their anthem played during Olympic medal ceremonies in Beijing. The country sent 27 athletes there, its largest contingent ever, but none made it to the podium. A few came frustratingly close. Wrestler Sahit Prizreni had the potential, but fell in the 1/8 round to his Kazakh opponent, Bazar Bazargunev.

In women's weightlifting, meanwhile, Romela Begaj finished sixth. While the result wasn't enough to win her a medal, she showed flair and spirit. After successfully lifting 118kg in the 58kg division, she surprised judges and spectators by performing a handstand in celebration.

At the well-known peshku pa uje forum, blogger Blendi has posted a photo of the now-famous move. Indeed, as Toni comments at the same blog, Begaj had good reason for her enthusiasm. "We should all be proud of her. She is only 21-years-old, but ranks sixth in the world," Toni writes.

Arb agrees. "She did the handstand after her last lift -- a very warm action, and all the audience congratulated her." But shqipe@ou doesn't like the display. "It seems to me exaggerated," she writes. "She didn't get any gold, yet she did that handstand. I felt sorry for her."

For another commenter, the important thing was that the athletes did their best. "Compliments to all Albanian athletes participating at the Beijing 2008 Olympics," writes Endrjus. "Even we didn't win any medal, I appreciate their efforts."

Baba adds: "These athletes are the pride of our country. They can achieve international standards, but always have to face the backward mentality which has caught out our government."

Also posted on peshku pa uje, an article by Fatos Lubonja laments the lack of interest in sports among Albanian youth. Today in Albania there are no longer great sportsmen such as Fagu, Rusi, Pano, Bonati and Agalliu, the author writes. And that is no surprise, he adds, considering the hundreds of other activities that attract Albanian young people.

"We have hundreds of gambling-places but no sport fields, hundreds of coffee shops but only a few gyms," Lubonja writes, blaming the situation on the ministry of culture, tourism and sports, as well as the ministry of education.

Some agree. "The issue is treated right by Lubonja, but I foresee that with the use of sports fields for construction and the lack of investment in sports for young people, the future for various sports in Albania will be even worse," writes Pjerr Thomas.

Youth interest in bars and coffee shops, as opposed to athletics, "has its roots in the ugly patterns that the media is offering", writes ThoughtPolice. The media, he adds, offer few if any programmes that encourage young people to participate in sports as a central part of their life.