Предлагаме на читателите на ПБПС статията на Бесмир Буранай Ходжа „Албанското плуване през 2014 г.” Той е бивш елитен албански плувец, който в момента живее в САЩ. Г-н Ходжа помоли статията „да бъде публикувана на Първи български плувен сайт – медия популярна по целите Балкани, създадена от легендарния Иван Цанов”.
With new development in Albania the past few years, the sport of swimming has also seen progress. Notable significant improvements have occurred that are worth mentioning; from restructuring of the swimming federation, new facilities, new coaches, new swimmers, and new records. Agim Ciraku is the new president of the Albanian Swimming Federation and has vowed change and progress in the sport, beginning from training coaches, trainers, and judges to the international standards.
Although, Albania technically has only one 50m Olympic size pool, there has been a significant increase in newly developed swimming pools in the 25 m length. And because of this, new teams have been developed in Tirana, Durres, Vlora, and Saranda. Two new teams in particular worth mentioning that are receiving fame due to their results are “Nobis Swimming” (coached by Eduart Cane) and “Tornado Tirana” (coached by Rovena Marku), both of these managers are former national swimmers that are now Coaches. In fact, Eduart Cane trained in Greece all of his life and recently moved back to Albania as a Coach. He was recently the youngest coach to be made a national coach for the Albanian National Swim Team in the World Swimming Championships (SCM) of 2014 in Doha Qatar. In this swimming competition, six new national records were broken. All of them by swimmers under the age of 18. The Albanian federation has focused significantly in building a swimming national team from the younger age groups. That could compete for many years to come.
Two of the most strongest and powerful swim teams in Tirana are “KSN Tirana” and “Tirana Delfina Sport”.
Most of Albania’s Successful swimmers train abroad. Sidni Hoxha is Albania’s most successful swimmer. In 2014 he partook in the European Swimming Championships (LCM) in Berlin Germany. He broke the national record and his personal record once again. 50 m Freestyle 22.89 and 100 m Freestyle 50.04.
Sidni Partook for the 2nd time in March 2014 in the NCAA Swimming Championships for College Swimming where he came top 18th in 50yd Freestyle and 100yd Freestyle. Sidni is in his last year graduating from ODU in Virginia. Sidni is preparing for the World Swimming Championships (LCM) in Kazan Russia for upcoming summer 2015 and also for his 3d Olympic Games in Brazil in the summer of 2016.
Jon Pepaj is also in his last year of college swimming at St. Francis University where he became captain of the swim team. Another new Albanian swimmer that is worth mentioning is Aidi Qyqa that is a new swimmer who won a scholarship to swim at St. Francis University in Brooklyn, New York.
Another swimmer who is in his final year swimming for his college, Boston University, is Edwin Engjelli. Another record holder who aims to represent Albania in the World Championships in the summer of 2015.
Up and coming swimmers that are very significant for the National Albanian Swimming Team: Noel Borshi, Patrica Cani, Anxhela Kashari, Franc Aleksi, Binald Mahmuti, Jurgen Troka.
Lastly, a note worth mentioning, Frank Leskaj is Albania’s first Olympic Swimmer to swim in the Barcelona Olympics in 1992. He was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and represented Albania in 1992 at the age of 21. He works closely with the “Illyrian Swimming Association” as an adviser and gives guidance for young Albanians swimmers who train in America. Another close cooperation with Illyrian Swimming Association is Lum Zhavelli, possibly the first Albanian Swimmer to represent Kosovo in the Rio Summer Olympics of 2016.
Middle: Franc Aleksi – KSN Tirana, Rights : Binald Mahmuti – KSN Tirana