The operation wipes out karateist Arifi's dream of the “Tokio 2020”

The injury suffered at a training camp in Montenegro makes it impossible to take part in the next valid qualification competitions at the “Olympics, Tokio 2020”.

The Kosovo Karateist will not appear for Albania at the European Championship, held after two weeks and also the qualifying race in Paris, which is held in May. The rehabilitation following this operation, Arifi indicates, will last between 6 and 8 months.

I took the decision to a Montenegro camp during a training session. The rehabilitation lasts between 6 and 8 months. Soon I will begin the rehabilitation phase of physical therapist Ervin Meqikuqiqiqiqiqiqiqiqiqiqiqiqiqi, and I hope that I will be ready 100% for the World Championship, held in November this year at Dubai”, karateist Arifi, who competes in the category of up to 60kg.

The “Tokio 2020” Olympics are set to be held from July 24th to August 9th in Japan. Arifi says he has been in good shape and has believed that he could achieve great successes with Albania in internationally valuable Olympic events.

I have suffered this injury at a very bad time because we are on the verge of the two-week European Championship. I will also lose the qualifying race for the Paris Olympics in May. With full conviction I say that I was Albania's main contender to get positive results both in the European and the Paris tournament, considering the good shape I had this year, where I also won medals at the Dubai Premier League, which was also the highest world-level race”, Arifi said...