Honourable President of the Olympic Committee Mr. Krasniqi,
Honourable Deputy Minister Daulina Osmani,
Honourable Excellencies, Ambassadors,
Beloved athletes,
Dear participants,
It is an honour for me to be here at this ceremony tonight which honours the laureates of the year.
Each of you here today is a testament to the power of hard work, determination and discipline.
You are always raising the flag of our Republic higher and higher in every corner of the world and we are always grateful to you for making our country shine in many sports disciplines.
Your victories aren’t just about winning medals or breaking records, although those are certainly impressive achievements. They also make an entire state shine and glow!
But, most of all, it is about embodying the values of sport, perseverance and respect for oneself and competitors.
Being a great athlete also means recognizing the role others play in our success. None of us achieves greatness alone.
You have the support not only of coaches, families and friends but above all of your teams and fans as well.
We owe it to those who are always striving for excellence and representing our sport with dignity and great pride.
To our sports laureates, I want to say congratulations on your outstanding achievements!
You have inspired us all with your talent, dedication and unwavering commitment to sport and to our country.
You are an example for future generations, so you have always made us proud.
I also want to remind you that your journey as an athlete is not over. You will have new challenges and new opportunities ahead.
As you continue to pursue your passion, I urge you to never forget the values that have brought you this far.
Continue the path forward. Keep your competitive spirit up. Strive for excellence in your disciplines and inspire others to do the same.
Dear athletes,
It is an honour for me to be among our girls and boys, our successful athletes, who continue to reward us and bring us emotions, victories and pride.
The fight of our judokas on the mat is the best presentation of the country. Distria and other Olympic champion judokas are gladiators in competition, but they are also the face of our young men and women. They are the face of our Republic, they are the perspective of our state.
Thank you for continuously making our Republic proud! Congratulations to all of you who have become ambassadors of the Republic, regardless of which sport you represent, and as mentioned by the President of the Olympic Committee, successes are coming unstoppably in all sports from judo to football, to basketball, to handball, in boxing and many, many other sports.
But you are not just athletes, especially as the girls who are here tonight and many others who are not participating in this ceremony, have broken barriers and paved the way for generations of girls and women to come. You have shown the world that girls are just as capable, and in judo even more capable than men in many, many sports and that there is nothing we cannot achieve if we are determined and persistent.
Your unwavering commitment to your sport is a true testament to your passion, dedication and hard work.
In the sport of judo alone, Kosovo has already made history. Today our small country has turned into the main competitor of the birthplace of judo, Japan. This is thanks to a proper name: Driton Kuka.
Dear. Driton, a rightful Grandmaster, thank you for the work you have done with our athletes who touched the heights of world sports and together with them the whole country and our people rose to these heights!
You are more than a coach, you are the emblem of the state of Kosovo!
Dear athletes,
Remember that the most significant victories are not only those that come from winning competitions but also those that come from developing your character, values and mentality.
Thank you for inspiring us all with your continued success!
You have shown us what it means to be the champion and our country competing alongside the biggest countries in the world.
Every time you make it possible for our flag to rise above the flags of other countries in international competitions, remember that behind you have a whole people who love you, support you and are unstoppably excited. Simply because you taught us what real pride is!
Congratulations once again and I wish you all the best in your future endeavours!