Luiza Gega's achievement was marked with a press conference in Albania ©Albania National Olympic Committee

Albanian National Olympic Committee President Viron Bezhani has held a press conference to honour the achievement of Luiza Gega at the European Athletics Championships earlier this month.

The 27-year-old secured a silver medal in the women’s 3000 metres steeplechase in Amsterdam, ending 10 seconds off the pace of the winner, Gesa-Felicitas Krause of Germany.

Gega’s medal was the first Albania has achieved in the history of the Championships, which are run every two years.

Bezhani praised Gega’s accomplishment and claimed it was as a result of her hard work and dedication to the sport.

The NOC President stated that Gega, who also competes in the 800 and 1500 metres, would be rewarded for the medal in a bid to help motivate her fellow athletes.

Gega is one of several athletes to have benefited from a special funding programme launched by the NOC in 2014, which has seen them receive a monthly allowance of £750 ($1,000/€902).

Luiza Gega (right) became the first Albanian to win a medal at the Championships ©Getty Images
Luiza Gega (right) became the first Albanian to win a medal at the Championships ©Getty Images

The runner, her coach Taulant Stërmasi and the Albanian Athletics Federation President Gjergj Ruli, all highlighted the importance of the scheme to helping her development.

Gega is currently the only member of the athletics team confirmed to be participating at Rio 2016, where she will compete in the 1500m.

In January, Gega was announced as Albania’s athletics sportsperson on the year for 2015, having won the 1500m at the 2015 European Athletics Team Championships, an event incorporated into the first-ever European Games in Baku.