Serbia forbids Kosovo participation in Pingpong European

The Serbian state, which banned Kosovo athletes, became the cause of this.

The blockade, which took place, also reacted to the Kosovo Olympic Committee but also to Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports Hajrullah Ceku.

Previously, such obstacles had also occurred in the Karate and Box Federation.

At a media conference, Ceku said that the more successes Kosovo is achieving in the internationalisation of sports, the bigger the blockades are becoming by the Serbian state and that this is a serious violation of sports rights.

“The more Kosovo does in relation to international international and successful sports, the bigger the blockades from Serbia's state. We have a destructive behaviour again by the state of Serbia, this is a serious violation of sportsmen's rights, it's a serious violation of all international sports rights. Serbia continues with destructivity, and for that we are announcing all relevant European instances. Our sports organisations will proceed with legal action in the four international institutions”, Ceku has said.

The first of the MKRS added that in consultation and harmony with other sports incidents, to Serbia the legal battle will continue even in international instances because this state has already become a recivilist in relation to violating the rights of Kosovo athletes.

Until now, the Kosovo Pingpong Federation has handed over indictments to the EU Federation of Pingpong disciplinary commission. This is the first step but we are in co-ordination with the relevant federation and the Kosovo Olympic Committee so that our legal battle with Serbia will continue in other international institutions, and we as institutions, in recognition of sports autonomy, will be supportive of our sports organisations to address Serbia's state in relation to Kosovo athletes, because Serbia is turned into a recivilist in proportion to the violations of our athletes' rights.”, Ceku stressed.

At this conference, the first of the MKRS also indicated that since today, the Kosovo Parliamentary Committee has been fully membered in the International Parliamentary Committee.

Kosovo's Paralytic Committee has been membered in the International Parliamentary Committee. Even a very important achievement in internationalising Kosovo's sports. I take advantage of the opportunity to congratulate the Parliamentary Committee, Kosovo's paralypic movement, all paralytic athletes who will now have an additional opportunity to participate in international competitions. With this membership, the sport of disabled persons has opened the way and the opportunity to participate in the Paralytic Games “Paris 2024”, Ceku said.

This is not the first time Serbia has prevented Kosovo athletes from participating in competitions there. We remember that the boxing team was not allowed to enter Serbia to compete at the World Boxing Championship, which sparked reaction from international institutions as well.