Six athletes including 1500 metres 2013 Summer Universiade bronze medallist Luiza Gega and former world junior weightlifting champion Daniel Godelli will benefit from quality training and treatment, as well as receiving a monthly allowance of £626 ($1,000/€800) to help with qualification for Rio.

The other four athletes who will be part of the scheme are cyclist Nikaj Iltjan, wrestler Hajdari Osman, Anxhela Kashar and taekwondo athlete Ada Demneri.

The Rio 2016 programme will be run by the Technical Commission of the Olympic Committee of Albania in partnership with the relevant National Federations for each of the six sports.

The athletes signed the contracts at the offices of the Olympic Committee of Albania in Tirana.

Representatives of each of the National Federations joined Olympic Committee of Albania President Viron Bohatka, along with chairman of the Technical Commission Gjergj Ruli, at the announcement.

Bohatka revealed that there are ongoing efforts to sign up more athletes with potential to the programme and that he will work with other National Federations to identify athletes.

Luiza Gega is one of the athletes set to benefit from extra funding from the Olympic Committee of Albania ©Getty Images



Albania took part in their first Olympic Games at Munich 1972.

Since then they have competed in a further six Summer Olympics since Barcelona 1992, while Alpine skiers Erjon Tola and Suela Mehilli represented the country at its third Winter Games in Sochi earlier this year.

The country has yet to win an Olympic medal.

Contact the writer of this story at [email protected]


Related Stories
July 2014: Registration opens for Athletic Administrator courses in Albania
June 2014: Albanian Olympic Committee holds successful three-day course for sports administrators