Iranian asylum seeker, karate champion: I would protect Albanian colors

My name is Ali Riza and I was born north of Iran. When I was five years old, I started dealing with karate because I was an hyperactive child, and my father decided to put me in sports to control me. I started dealing with karate because it is a sport that starts with respect and ends with respect. I slowly went to high levels in this sport and received several medals in Iran and international medals from Asia, or Europe. I was able to become the coach of Iran's nationals. In the 24th Asian Championship, we took third place as a team. With 8 athletes we got 9 medals”, he says.

Ali Rizai was born in the town of Rast in northern Iran, his father lost his life in a mysterious accident, as did his mother shortly after his father.

The fact that his father was educated in Israel, his family has been under pressure all the time, while Ali Rizai managed to be part of Iran's special forces, but positioning with Mehdi Carubi's opposition party, against Ahmadinejat in the elections of eight years ago, confused his entire future.

My life in Iran has always been very difficult. When I was born there was an eight-year period of war with Iraq and then all my life I've seen is blood, I've seen people die. We're tired of this because God created his world in seven days, without borders, without flags, made people free. God gave you life and he could take it away from you. Iran is a political country even when I decided to support an opposition party, I was removed from the position of coach of Iran's national coach, and when Ahmadijat won the elections again, all of us who supported other parties closed our doors”, he explains.

Sports is the only thing he has in his hands to reward any country that he will offer an opportunity not to return to his country, where, as he admits, he will soon end.

I left my country for political reasons. I went to Turkey, where I continued my sport and was able to be a champion of Asia. I was promised that if I was to be declared champion once, I could be given asylum, but this did not happen even when I was proclaimed a second champion and deported. After about five years in Turkey, I moved to Greece. It's not that easy for Muslim people there. I couldn't find a single glass. I had to pray often because I needed God, but I had nowhere else to go. In Greece I later met with some Albanians after I had many students who were trained by Albania. There I worked in finance, then as a guard at the locals, but also as a professional diver. After all, Greece is not a good place for refugees” either, he recalls.

After deciding to come to Albania, about two months ago Alirizai tells of his first impression since the Kakaravia border.

There is no religious racism in Albania and I am a Muslim. People in Albania don't even want to know if you're a Muslim, a Christian, or an unbeliever. In many places I've seen a cop hit refugees. This is a very serious thing because I'm not a piece of shit, I'm not a terrorist. My name is an immigrant. When I arrived in Gjirokastra, I was frightened after seeing police hit immigrants many times. I come to your country because I have war in my country, I have a risk of life. When Albanian border police asked me about my history, I saw that he started crying. He went out and bought food for me and came to eat with me at the same table. I've never seen anything like it in my life. The cop told me, so tell me your pain! I'm not a cop anymore. I'm your friend now. When I started crying, the Albanian police hugged me. I want to thank all the Albanian police officers and all who deal with immigrants in Albania have been very helpful. We have not seen this care anywhere else”, he adds.

But Ali Riza's life is closely linked to the search for a asylum of any state to give, at the moment he hopes a lot for Albanian government bodies that can give the right to live here, or as he frequently points out, to give him the right to continue living.

My day is hard right now because I'm trying to learn Albanian, but it's very difficult. I need to communicate with people. I would like to continue this sport in Albania and this country does not have a European champion, or world in my category. Also, I think I owe a lot of debt to those who are helping me, and for that reason if I get the opportunity from the Albanian government, I promise you in the name of God that I can give you an important medal. As a reward, I want to host a match here in Tirana with a great champion from Romania, called the Chatali Morasha, I promise to throw it with KO very soon, but more than that, it has the message I want to deliver for this match. “Stop fighting, don't die any more children“, he declares. (TCH)