Kosovo and Albania will co-host the biggest continental event in volleyball for U16 girls — and one of the largest sports events ever organized in Kosovo — from July 2 to July 13.
The Secretary of the Volleyball Federation of Kosovo, Valon Nikqi, told KosovaPress that preparations to welcome the eight best national teams in Europe to Prishtina are already complete. He stated that this championship will mark a turning point in the internationalization of volleyball in Kosovo.
“We’ve done all the preparations; we’re in the final phase, and Kosovo is ready to host the eight national teams that will participate in the final phase of the U16 European Championship. The teams are expected to arrive on June 30, while the staff and officials will arrive a day earlier. This is the first time Kosovo is hosting such a major sporting event,” Nikqi said.
Nikqi revealed further details about the championship and called on volleyball fans to come out and support the Kosovo national team in this age category.
“Matches will begin on July 2, with four games scheduled each day starting at 12:30 PM. The matches will take place at the Palace of Youth and Sports in Prishtina. At the same time, qualifying matches will be held in Tirana. Each team will face every other team — eight teams total in the group — and the phase will last until July 10. The top two teams will advance to the semifinals and finals, which will be held on July 13 and 14 in Tirana. Kosovo will play its matches each evening at 8 PM, so I call on all volleyball and sports enthusiasts to come and support our U16 national team in what will be a new experience for them,” Nikqi stated.
Meanwhile, the President of the Volleyball Federation of Albania, Erlind Pëllumbi, spoke about the potential joint Kosovo–Albania bid to host the European Senior Volleyball Championship.
“Let’s hope. It’s a major undertaking considering the facilities and infrastructure we currently have, which penalizes us in this regard. Still, at least for Albania, I can say we are working with the government to build some prestigious sports halls to be able to host and represent in such competitions. It’s never too late — you always need to have a goal to strive for. But I believe it may be a bit early to consider such major competitions right now,” Pëllumbi said. Beyond international tournaments, Pëllumbi also revealed that the Volleyball Federations of Kosovo and Albania plan to create a joint volleyball league in the near future, though this first requires checking if such a move complies with the regulations of the International Volleyball Federation.
