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Sport in Albania

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Sports in Albania revolves mostly around team sports, such as football, basketball, volleyball and handball. Other sports includes boxing, weightlifting, tennis, swimming, judo, karate, athletics, table tennis, and chess. Football in particular has seen a rapid transformation, with the Albanian national football team making its debut at the 2016 UEFA European Football Championship. Many Albanian athletes have also achieved significant success and have won European and Mediterranean titles in numerous sports during the years, such as wrestling, football, athletics and weightlifting. Albanian athletes have won a total 43 medals for Albania in 8 different Mediterranean sports, an achievement which makes Albania 7th out of 10 nations from the Balkans.

Football

Further information: Football in Albania

Football is the most popular sport in Albania. It arrived in Albania at the beginning of the 20th century. Football is played by children at school and by grown-ups on the plenty of both indoor and outdoor fields located throughout the country. The Sport is governed by the Football Association of Albania (Federata Shqiptare e Futbollit).

The first recorded match was between students at a Christian mission in Shkodër. Other towns and cities followed suit and on 6 June 1930 the Football Association of Albania was established. The association became a member of football's governing body FIFA in 1932, and joined the European governing body UEFA in 1954 as a founding member. After the collapse of the communism in Albania, there were crucial political and economic changes that had a tremendous effect on the nation, as the centralized economy and political system came to an end. The result for the country's footballers was an opportunity to play their trade on foreign fields. Neighbouring Greece, Italy and the Balkan countries were popular destinations for players who were good enough to go abroad.

Albania was the winner of the 1946 Balkan Cup and the 2000 Malta International Tournament. At the UEFA Euro 2016 in France, Albania made its first debut at a major men's football tournament. Albania scored their first ever goal in a major tournament and secured first ever win in European Championship, when they beat Romania on June 19, 2016. Albania's highest FIFA World Rankings was 22nd in August 2015.

The women's national team was formed in 2011. Their highest FIFA World Ranking was 40th in April 2015. The FIFA Women's World Cup 2015 was the first time Albania entered a senior competitive tournament. Albania secured a top-two finish on the final day of 2015 FIFA World Cup preliminary round mini-tournament to earn a slot in the qualifying group stage.

Athletics

Further information: Category:Albanian athletes, Category:Albania at the World Championships in Athletics, and Category:Albania at the European Athletics Championships

Athletics has been another very successful individual sport in Albania.


Medalists at European Championships

Medal Name Year Event
 Silver Luiza Gega Netherlands Amsterdam 2016 Women's 3000 metres steeplechase

Medalists at European indoor Championships

Medal Name Year Event
 Gold Izmir Smajlaj Serbia Belgrade 2017 Men's long jump

Weightlifting

Further information: Category:Albanian weightlifters

Weightlifting is one of the most successful individual sport for the Albanians, with the national team winning medals at the European Weightlifting Championships and the rest international competitions. Albanian weightlifters have won a total of 16 medals at the European Championships with 1 of them being gold, 7 silver and 8 bronze. In the World Weightlifting Championships, the Albanian weightlifting team has won in 1972 a gold, in 2002 a silver and in 2011 bronze medal. At the Mediterranean Games, the nation have won 5 gold, 9 silver and 10 bronze medals.

Medalists at European Championships

Medal Name Year Event
 Bronze Agron Haxhihyseni France Reims 1987 Men's 52 kg
 Bronze Luan Shabani Greece Athens 1989 Men's 56 kg
 Bronze Artur Duraj Denmark Aalborg 1990 Men's 60 kg
 Bronze Ilirian Suli Bulgaria Sofia 2000 Men's 77 kg
 Silver Fetie Kasaj Poland Władysławowo 2006 Women's 58 kg
 Silver Romela Begaj Italy Lignano Sabbiadoro 2008 Women's 58 kg
 Silver Erkand Qerimaj Romania Bucharest 2009 Men's 77 kg
 Bronze Romela Begaj Romania Bucharest 2009 Women's 58 kg
 Silver Romela Begaj Belarus Minsk 2010 Women's 58 kg
 Bronze Erkand Qerimaj Belarus Minsk 2010 Men's 77 kg
 Bronze Daniel Godelli Russia Kazan 2011 Men's 69 kg
 Silver Romela Begaj Turkey Antalya 2012 Women's 58 kg
 Silver Daniel Godelli Albania Tirana 2013 Men's 69 kg
 Bronze Romela Begaj Albania Tirana 2013 Women's 58 kg
 Gold Erkand Qerimaj Israel Tel Aviv 2014 Men's 77 kg
 Silver Daniel Godelli Israel Tel Aviv 2014 Men's 77 kg
 Bronze Erkand Qerimaj Croatia Split 2017 Men's 77 kg

Medalists at World Championships

Medal Name Year Event
 Bronze Romela Begaj United States Anaheim 2017 Women's 69 kg

National sports teams

Football:

Basketball:

Volleyball:

Tennis:

Sporting venues

National leagues

Sports events

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