TIRANA, June 11 /ATA/ For the fifth year in a row, there was held today in Farka Lake Park the Tirana Triathlon in swimming, running and cycling with participants not only from Albania, but also from many other countries, especially from the Balkan region.
While participating in the awarding ceremony of the winners of the 3 disciplines, Mayor of Tirana Erion Veliaj expressed his happiness that sports and especially these competitions are becoming an annual tradition in the city of Tirana.
Veliaj said that this is thanks to the investments made. Thus, he singled out the new Park of Farka, the donors who cooperate with the Municipality of Tirana, but above all thanks to all those who are united by the sporting spirit to compete regardless of the price.
“Present-day Farka has become an extraordinary destination. We started here with Kostas Bakoyannis, the mayor of Athens when we opened Helen Park. Many people thought that it was something small and no one could imagine that after a while we would have a second park in Tirana, after the Lake of Tirana. This would not have been possible without an extraordinary group of donors who chose to sponsor not only the event, but also the awards and provided for all those who came here today. I am really grateful! The invitation to all parents is, register your children in sports! More than we train the muscles, we want to train our mind, our soul with sports culture and team play,” said Veliaj.
The mayor said that the big sports events, especially in this year when Tirana is the European city of sports, will not remain like that.
He said that in October, Tirana marathon will take place.
“We live in the Balkans. And this is a region where we all have a little more zeal for debate, or to say a word more than necessary, but sport has taught us that in a neighborhood where we live together, we fall together. If we do not understand that we cannot choose our neighbors, but we are destined to live together, destined to cooperate, destined to flourish together, then sport is the best diplomacy. So sisters and brothers, let’s remember that sport brings us together. It doesn’t matter if we are from Kosovo, Serbia, Albania, Montenegro, or Bulgaria, we are part of a community. Therefore, as we fall together, we rise together and cooperate with each other,” Veliaj concluded his speech./p.s./
