Sport in Kosovo

Part of a series on the
Culture of Kosovo
History
People
Languages
Mythology and folklore
Cuisine
Festivals
Religion
Art
Literature
Music
Media
Sport
Monuments
Symbols

Sport in Kosovo is a tradition and plays a prominent role. Popular sports in Kosovo include football, basketball, volleyball, handball, and rugby, whereas major individual sports include wrestling, judo, swimming, boxing, karate and skiing.

Individual sports have been Kosovo's biggest success, in particular judo. with 61 medals won in total, winning 35 European medals aswell as three olympic gold medals,[1][2] also seven judo World Judo medals and nine medals were won by Kosovo at the Mediterranean Games.[3][4] In the past Boxing had an successful role in Kosovo under Yugoslavia. Winning 20 medals overall at this sport.[5][6] Boxers from Kosovo would win eight medals at the Mediterranean Games, followed by seven medals in European Boxing aswell as four medals in World Boxing and one olympic bronze medal at the 1984 Summer Olympics.[7][8] Other notable sports in the country are Football and Handball.

The Judoka Majlinda Kelmendi won Kosovo's first ever Olympic gold medal at the 2016 Summer Olympics in the Women's 52 kg category.,[9] She won two back to back World Judo Championships in 2013 and in 2014[10] as well as four European Judo Championships titles in 2014, 2016, 2017 and in the 2019 European Games the first gold medal for Kosovo at the European Games.[11] Before retiring her judo career in 2021 after the 2020 Olympic Games.[12][13] the other world known Judokas are Distria Krasniqi who won the second olympic gold medal for Kosovo in the 2020 Summer Olympics,[14] followed by her compatriot Nora Gjakova who won Kosovo's second gold medal in Tokio and the third Olympic gold medal[15] overall for the country, in its olympic history so far.[16] In the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. Kosovo were able to win two more medals this time one silber and one bronze medal.[17] Distria Krasniqi won silber in the Women's 52 kg category her second medal at the Summer Olympics losing the finals close against Diyora Keldiyorova after golden score.[18][19] The following medal were won by Laura Fazliu who would win the Bronze Medal in the Women's 63 kg. Kosovo so far won five olympic medals in their three appearances at the summer olympics. [20]

K.B. Prishtina was the most successful Boxing Club during Yugoslavia winning the Yugoslavian Boxing Championships five times during their time.[21] Aziz Salihu is the most successful boxer in his country. He became the first ever Kosovan to win an Olympic Medal with Bronze at the 1984 Summer Olympics in the Super heavyweight category.[22] He also would win two European Boxing Championships Bronze medals in 1981 Tampere and 1985 in Budapest.[23] He also won another bronze medal at the Boxing World Cup in 1987 in Belgrade before winning his gold medal at the 1987 Mediterranean Games in Larnaka in Syria. Other successful Kosovan boxers were Mehmet Bogujevci, Sami Buzoli, Bajram Hasani and Agim Ljatifi, Besim Kabashi, Donjeta Sadiku who would win many medals as Kosovans in international boxing competitions like the European Boxing Championship, World Boxing Championship and in Boxing at the Mediterranean Games for Yugoslavia.[8]

Football is the most popular sport in Kosovo and the most successful team sport in the Country. The Kosovo national football team in its short history achieved plenty of successful stories.[24] Their first success came at the 2018–19 UEFA Nations League finishing in first place in Group D, in League D in which they faced Azerbaijan, Faroe Islands and Malta. Kosovo secured the promotion after notably beating Azerbaijan at home with 4–0 in the last game. Kosovo finished the league unbeaten (with four wins and two draws) what secured them a play-off spot for the UEFA Euro 2020.[25] After the successful Nations League encounter, Kosovo entered the UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying in Group A facing England, Czech Republic, Bulgaria and Montenegro respectively.[26] In which Kosovo were able to upset the opponents after managing their first win against Bulgaria away in Sofia with 2-3[27] followed by a surprising win against the Czech Republic with 2-1 in Pristina.[28] being 15 matches unbeaten in which they won 11 out of 15 games during that period, being almost two years without a defeat.[29][deprecated source] The game against England away even saw the Kosovars took an early lead in the surprise, despite that they would lose 3–5 away, ending the longest unbeaten run in the football history of Kosovo.[30] In the following Kosovo would win once more this time defeating Montenegro with 2-0[31] after that they faced the Czech Republic away. Despite a yet surprising lead, they were not able to hold on and would lose close with 2-1 the decider for the UEFA Euro 2020 campaign. Kosovo finished their qualifying campaign in third place with eleven points.[32] In the UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying play-offs Kosovo faced North Macedonia in the Toše Proeski Arena in Skopje. The match itself was very close but North Macedonia would win this match unfortunately ending Kosovo's dreams for a debut participation at the UEFA Euro 2020 for the Kosovans.[33] This remains Kosovo's greatest National Football team success so far.

FC Prishtina and KF Trepça are the most known Football clubs in the Country, followed by KF Ballkani and KF Drita.[34][35] Trepça were able to qualify as the first Kosovan Football club in the history for the Yugoslav First League, despite the relegation in the same saison they reached the finals of the 1977–78 Yugoslav Cup losing close to HNK Rijeka. The best club football achievement for Kosovo under Yugoslavia.[36] FC Prishtina is the following team that qualified to the Yugoslav First League in 1983–84 finishing in 8th place that saison and runners up that year to Eisenstadt in the Mitropa Cup.[37] They would play four more saison's in the highest division of Yugoslavia, before being relegated in 1987-88, also being able to reach in the same year the Semifinals of the Yugoslav Cup in which they lost close to Borac Banja Luka after penalty's.[38] The most recent success came by KF Ballkani who became the first Kosovan Football after their independence to qualify for the newly crown UEFA Conference League in 2022-23[39][40] Their first ever win in a UEFA competition came against Sivasspor in a thrilling 3–4 away win in Turkey.[41] They would qualify for the second year running for the 2023-24 UEFA Conference League.[42] After beating FC BATE Borisov in the Play-off 4–1 on aggregate in the final result.[43]

Some of the federations that are part of the international associations are Kosovo Taekwondo Federation, Boxing Federation, Handball Federation, Judo Federation, and Kosovo Ski Federation. Nevertheless, athletes who were born and raised in European countries had the opportunity to be successful in the international arena.

  1. ^ https://www.aa.com.tr/sq/ballkani/kosova-shkruan-emrin-e-saj-me-shkronja-ari-n%C3%AB-loj%C3%ABrat-olimpike-p%C3%ABrmes-xhudos/2316336 [bare URL]
  2. ^ "Kosova rrëmben dy medalje të arta në Tokio".
  3. ^ "Sporti xhudo nga Kosova, triumfuse në gjithë botën". 24 October 2020.
  4. ^ "Çfarë janë Lojërat Mesdhetare, që do të organizohen në Kosovë më 2030?". 8 September 2023.
  5. ^ "Marre për boksin e Kosovës". 8 November 2023.
  6. ^ "Krajkova, ndër të parët boksierë shqiptarë në Prishtinën e artë! Serbi e uli kokën para tij". Bota Sot.
  7. ^ https://www.koha.net/de/sport/309729/aziz-salihu-populli-me-do-shume [bare URL]
  8. ^ a b "Ky është brezi që i solli Prishtinës pesë tituj në ish Jugosllavi! Peci, Bogujevci apo Salihu sollën më shumë tituj?".
  9. ^ "Kosovo's First Ever Olympic Medalist on her 'Great Moment'". Time. 9 August 2016. Retrieved 11 November 2023.
  10. ^ "MKRS: Majlinda Kelmendi, imazhi dhe frymëzimi për Kosovën • KOHA". Retrieved 11 November 2023.
  11. ^ "Majlinda Kelmendi fiton medaljen e artë në Lojrat Europiane!". Bordo (in Albanian). 23 June 2019. Retrieved 11 November 2023.
  12. ^ "Majlinda Kelmendi - Judo - Facts, Stats, Pictures and Videos". 17 January 2019. Retrieved 11 November 2023.
  13. ^ "Pensionohet kampionia olimpike Majlinda Kelmendi | Federata e Xhudos së Kosovës". 6 December 2021. Retrieved 11 November 2023.
  14. ^ "Distria Krasniqi fiton për Kosovën medalje të artë në Tokio – DW – 24/07/2021". Deutsche Welle. Retrieved 11 November 2023.
  15. ^ "Nora Gjakova fiton medaljen e artë". www.evropaelire.org. Retrieved 11 November 2023.
  16. ^ "Kosovo makes its golden name at Olympics through judo". Anadolu Ajansı. 27 July 2021. Retrieved 11 November 2023.
  17. ^ "Kosova mbyll me sukses Lojërat Olimpike Paris 2024".
  18. ^ "Distria Krasniqi fiton medaljen e argjendtë në Paris".
  19. ^ "Distria: We Are a Team, Not Just One Medal or Result".
  20. ^ "Ekipi ynë olimpik mbyll garat në LO Paris 2024 me dy medalje, një vend të pestë dhe dy të 9-ta – Kosovo Olympic Committee".
  21. ^ "Histori : K.B. Prishtina e merret titulli i gjashtë me shumë padrejtësi – www.kosovaboxing.org". kosovaboxing.org.
  22. ^ "Aziz Salihu goditi 132 herë, por ia vodhën fitoren në vitin 1984!". 15 January 2018.
  23. ^ "Histori : Aziz Salihu dy herë fitues i medaljës së bronzt në kampionatet evropiane, në Tempere 1981 dhe Budapest 1985 – www.kosovaboxing.org". kosovaboxing.org.
  24. ^ "Historia e Kombëtares së Kosovës". Albinfo. 28 March 2022. Retrieved 11 November 2023.
  25. ^ "Kosova bën histori, kalon në "play-off" për Euro 2020 dhe promovohet në Ligën C". 20 November 2018. Retrieved 11 November 2023.
  26. ^ "Kosova në grup me Anglinë, ja deklaratat e presidentit Ademi dhe përzgjedhësit Challandes (Video)". 27 March 2019. Archived from the original on 27 March 2019. Retrieved 11 November 2023.
  27. ^ "Kosova e mrekullueshme, fiton në Bullgari - KOHA.net". Retrieved 11 November 2023.
  28. ^ "Kosova fiton kundër Çekisë në futboll". www.evropaelire.org. Retrieved 11 November 2023.
  29. ^ "Europe's most in-form team only played their first official international in 2016". 11 June 2019. Retrieved 11 November 2023.
  30. ^ "Anglia ndal serinë e shkëlqyeshme të Dardanëve". 10 September 2019. Retrieved 11 November 2023.
  31. ^ "Kosova shënon fitore ndaj Malit të Zi në kualifikimet për EURO 2020". www.evropaelire.org. Retrieved 11 November 2023.
  32. ^ "Dardanët pësojnë humbje në Çeki, ëndrra për kualifikim vazhdon tek Liga e Kombeve". 14 November 2019. Retrieved 11 November 2023.
  33. ^ "Ëndrra "Euro2020" përfundon, Dardanët pësojnë humbje në Shkup". 8 October 2020. Retrieved 11 November 2023.
  34. ^ Futbolli 1991-2011 ffk-kosova.com
  35. ^ "Historiku i FFK-së". 29 November 2018. Retrieved 11 November 2023.
  36. ^ Cite error: The named reference historiku was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  37. ^ "Mitropa Cup 1983/84". www.rsssf.org. Retrieved 11 November 2023.
  38. ^ "Historia - FC Prishtina". 13 April 2019. Retrieved 11 November 2023.
  39. ^ Pireva, Lavdim (20 September 2022). "Ballkani sjell Evropën në Kosovë, Armend Thaqi në një intervistë për mediumin Goal: Krenar që po shkruajmë historinë - Telegrafi". Retrieved 11 November 2023.
  40. ^ "KF Ballkani schreibt Fußballmärchen: Nur fünf Jahre nach dem Aufstieg jetzt für den Kosovo in Europa | Goal.com Deutschland". www.goal.com. 21 September 2022. Retrieved 11 November 2023.
  41. ^ "KF Ballkani, fiton në Turqi dhe ngjitet në vend të dytë". 6 October 2022. Retrieved 11 November 2023.
  42. ^ "Rishkruhet historia, Ballkani kualifikohet në fazën e grupeve të Ligës së Konferencës për herë të dytë radhazi". Gazeta Enigma. 31 August 2023. Retrieved 11 November 2023.
  43. ^ "Ballkani për herë të dytë radhazi pjesë e fazës së grupeve në Ligën e Konferencës – Epoka e Re". Retrieved 11 November 2023.