Minister Shala awarded state prizes to Kelmendi, Gjakova and Kuka

Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports, Kujtim Shala, awarded state prizes to the judokas Majlinda Kelmendi and Nora Gjakova and coach Driton Kuka, following the results achieved at the European Judo Championship held in April in Poland, reaching a general value of 42 thousand Euros.

Based on the Regulation for awarding state prizes for athletes who have achieved top results in international competitions, Minister Shala awarded the 20,000 Euros prize to the judoka Majlinda Kelmendi, who won the gold medal in this championship in the category up to 52kg. The other judoka Nora Gjakova received the reward worth eight thousand Euros, for winning the bronze medal in the category up to 57 kg. Meanwhile, the coach Driton Kuka received the ten-thousand-euro reward, as coach of Majlinda Kelmendi and four thousand Euros as coach of judoka Nora Gjakova.

Minister Kujtim Shala said that the prizes awarded by MCYS to athletes who achieve results besides being a kind of gratitude for them, they are done with the intention to encourage young people to take up even more sports and to reap big results, simultaneously representing and elevating Kosovo's name and image to the international arena.

"I have said other times too, that the success of our judokas is not only successful in the field of sport, but it is the success of our country, and we are grateful for the dedication and the results of the judokas and the work of their coaches", said Minister.

Meanwhile, the judoka Majlinda Kelmendi expressed her gratitude for the reward and said that she will be committed to bringing Kosovo other medals. "Now, together with the team, we are focused on the Tokyo Olympics, so that we can achieve even bigger successes and bring even more medals," she said.

Nora Gjakova, showed that she felt delighted that she managed to return with a medal from the European Championship after the injury she had. Gjakova cited "I will maximally engage, I am getting ready and I will try to come back with a medal from the Olympics".

The coach Kuka thanked Minister Shala and the work MCYS is doing in the field of sport. He mentioned the way of funding through memoranda as very positive and facilitating the work of federations as well as improving the legal infrastructure that regulates sport.