Kosovo Olympic Committee Celebrates 10 Years of IOC Recognition
The Kosovo Olympic Committee celebrated the 10th anniversary of its recognition by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) with a grand Gala Evening attended by IOC President Thomas Bach.
The IOC President visited Kosovo for the second time, following first visit in 2015, a year after Kosovo NOC was officially recognized by the IOC on 9 December 2014, during the 127th IOC Session held in Monaco. Since then, Kosovo has achieved remarkable success, earning five Olympic medals in just three Summer Games, all won by its talented female judokas.
Last year, in Heraklion, Greece, Kosovo NOC won the candidacy to organize Prishtina 2030, Mediterranean Games, which is another historic achievement for Kosovo sport.
Majlinda Kelmendi claimed Kosovo’s first-ever Olympic gold at Rio 2016, followed by golds from Distria Krasniqi and Nora Gjakova at Tokyo 2020. At Paris 2024, Kosovo added two more medals, with Distria Krasniqi earning silver and Laura Fazliu securing bronze.
The Gala Evening on 9 December 2024, brought together esteemed figures from the global Olympic family, including IOC President Thomas Bach, European Olympic Committees (EOC) President Spyros Capralos, International Committee of Mediterranean Games (ICMG) President Davide Tizzano, and leaders of International Federations and National Olympic Committees. President of Kosovo Vjosa Osmani and Prime Minister Albin Kurti also attended the celebration.
During the event, KOC President Ismet Krasniqi presented the IOC President with a portrait featuring him alongside Olympic champion Majlinda Kelmendi and a special commemorative book titled From Rio 2016 to Paris 2024. Dr Bach reciprocated by honouring former KOC President Besim Hasani, Kosovo’s Olympic champions, and other key contributors to Kosovo’s Olympic journey.
