Preparations for the Mediterranean Games ‘Prishtina 2030’ have taken a new turn after the approval of the relevant law in the Assembly of Kosovo, giving a clear signal that the institutions have been set in motion. However, after intensive meetings and important visits abroad, a number of challenges remain open and require immediate solutions.
Recently, the Coordinating Commission of the International Committee of the Mediterranean Games (ICMG) held three-day meetings in Durrës, the city which will be a co-organizer for the sailing sport. Kosovar and international representatives held meetings with the heads of the Albanian National Olympic Committee, the Ministry of Education and Sports of Albania, as well as with the Municipality of Durrës.
These visits, according to the spokesperson of the Olympic Committee of Kosovo, Kushtrim Krasniqi, show that things are moving in the right direction and that there is also an intensification of meetings between the parties involved in this organization.
“The approval of the law on the Mediterranean Games, the passage in the Assembly of Kosovo, is a good signal that things are moving forward. Last week, as you have seen, the Prishtina 2030 Coordinating Commission, which is a commission of the International Committee of the Mediterranean Games, together with all the parties involved in the organization of these games, such as OCMG, the Olympic Committee of Kosovo, the Ministry of Youth and Sports, as well as the Municipality of Pristina, but also the parties involved from Albania participated for three days in the meetings held in Durrës. Because this city is a co-organizer of the Prishtina 2030 Games, including the sailing sport that will take place on the coast of Durrës”, emphasized Krasniqi.
Krasniqi added that another important visit of the main delegation of the Mediterranean Games is expected to take place soon here in Pristina.
“Their arrival itself, of President Bonello and ICMG secretary general Iakovos Filippousis, shows that the work has intensified and the aim is for the processes to continue faster so that we are ready in 2030… The cooperation since we received the Mediterranean Games is really fruitful. Almost every two months we have this commission here to see and intensify the work. The next meeting will be here in Pristina, we expect that maybe after the elections they will come again to see how far we have come”, announced Krasniqi.
However, Krasniqi is afraid that the unstable political situation in the country may again lead to a delay in the development of works in the sports infrastructure.
“Of course, this situation is not suitable for the Mediterranean Games. The budget is divided, the law has been approved, but of course there may be delays in investments, because political changes are not suitable for our organizations for 2030. I wish there would be no such delays, let’s start as soon as possible with the infrastructure, especially with the National Stadium where we may have delays. It is known that such a stadium with 25 thousand to 30 thousand seats cannot be built for one or two years. We see that the ‘Adem Jashari’ stadium is still not finished, let alone build a new one from the beginning. I wish that we will be ready with the National Stadium by 2029, because every facility must be tested in advance,” Krasniqi emphasized.
Meanwhile, Krasniqi announced that soon the official logo of the Mediterranean Games “Prishtina 2030” will be revealed.
“It is a process that started last year, together with the selection of the official website, which has ended, but the logo process has taken longer. Our committee has made the selection of the logo, but the ball has already passed to the Executive Board of the International Committee of the Mediterranean Games. They are expected to give the final verdict before it becomes public. We are waiting, we have presented the logo in Durrës and we are waiting for the meeting of the Executive Board of the ICMG to give the verdict…Three logos were initially selected by the organizing committee, and now it remains for the board to approve it, if they don’t find any obstacles, or they can reject it. All three logos are still in play,” said Krasniqi at the end.
Otherwise, weeks ago, in an effort to build a stable infrastructure, a high delegation from Kosovo traveled to London. There, in cooperation with the consulting company ‘RC Advisory’, the assets of the London 2012 Olympic Games were inspected. The main purpose of this strategic visit was to obtain the best models for the heritage of the facilities, aiming for the new stadiums and gymnasiums in Kosovo to be fully functional for new generations even after the end of 2030./ KosovaPress
