By Florenc Bakillari
Pampuri: “My work as a night watchman at INIMA prevented me from participating in the meetings of the masters in Europe”
Memorie.al / The former Olympic champion of the Munich Games in 1972, the legend of the Albanian barbell, Merited Master of Sport and “Honour of Albanian Sport”, Ymer Pampuri, who passed away on January 17, 2017 from a cardiac arrest, in an interview with the well-known journalist Florenc Bakillari in 2007, he testified to some of the main moments of his life, his sports career, as well as the plans he had for the future, etc., etc. We are publishing the interview in full in this article, in these days that the Paris Olympics are taking place, as a sign of homage to the famous sportsman, who raised the name of Albania in the international arena.
Ymer Pampuri returns to weightlifting at the age of 63. The legend of the Albanian sport, but also one of the most famous people of the National Circus, has taken on a new challenge, the World Championship for Masters, which takes place in France, from August 26 to September 2 of this year (2007). . The Masters Championship is for ages 35 to 84, while 615 weightlifters are registered in this activity.
About 25 years away from the sport, Ymer Pampuri, the world champion in strength style, with 127.5 kilograms, a title obtained in Germany in 1972, has had a not very easy life. After the loss of his wife, the champion started working as a guard at INIMA, where he is still employed. Two months ago, another hope returned to the weightlifting legend, as he trains in the weightlifting gym near the “Qemal Stafa” stadium alongside the young champions, Endri Haxhihyseni, Fetie Kasa and Romela Bregu.
Mr. Pampuri, why did you return to barbell and training after almost 25 years?
My goal is to participate in the World Masters Championship, which takes place in France. I am the only athlete who will represent Albania, among 614 other weightlifters, from all over the world. In France, he will compete in the 60 to 65 kilogram weight, for the 60 to 65 age group. As far as I know, in this category, weightlifters, who have declared quite good results, participate.
Do you know any of them?
Yes, because there are well-known names of world weightlifting, such as Max Muhableuer from Germany, Andrei Barkiwez from Poland, Jusai Zuzuki from Japan. So are other weightlifters from France, America and England.
How did you decide to participate?
My participation in this world was realized after the insistence of my friends, who also enabled my trip to France, as well as sponsorship. Professor Gudar Beqiraj is one of the people who believes in me and encouraged me to be part of this championship. He will also accompany me to France and has convinced me that I have all the possibilities to make a dignified presentation. He told me that; “We are both Olympians and the important thing is to participate in the competition, the result is of little importance”.
When was the last time you competed in a weightlifting championship?
I participated 12 years ago, in a European championship for masters, held in Shopenazen in Germany, just a few kilometers from Munich, where I have unforgettable impressions. My desire was to participate again, but my job, as a guard at INIMA, did not allow me this luxury.
What is your objective for this world?
My goal is to reach the medal zone. History repeating itself after 34 years would be a miracle, yes I believe. My physical condition is quite good. At the beginning of training, I had some problems with my leg and arm muscles. This is natural, since I started a systematic exercise, which I had left for almost 25 years.
I have been training for two months now, every day for two hours. In addition to the pleasures that training gives me, when I see the new generation of Albanian champions by my side, I was also able to keep my body in a pretty good shape, since I lost about seven kilograms.
Who are your coaches?
I have the two best coaches near me, such as Hektor Shaqiri and Faruk Kalleshi, but I feel optimistic myself. I will do my best to follow my rivals during the race. In France, I will also give my best in my favorite style, that of pushing.
That’s the reason I’m training hard, because I want to be at the level of champions. Regarding technical exercises, I am training only with 80 percent of my possibilities, as I am afraid of any injury, which would condition my participation in the World Cup.
The story of the boy who grew up between the circus and weightlifting
Ymer Pampuri initially had a passion for the circus. At the age of 7, his passion was the circus, but then he would become weightlifting. Telat Agolli discovered Ymer’s weightlifting talent for the first time, who then took Ymer to the gym and started training him. He was no more than 20 years old when he was declared national champion for the first time, with a weight of 120 kilograms.
In 1972, Ymer Pampuri would represent Albania in the European Championship, which was organized in Romania. They were generally athletes and coaches without much experience. Albania was presented there for the first time. He was declared sub-champion with a weight of 125 kilograms, the same as the first place, but then body weight made the difference. In the same year, he participated in the Olympic Games that were held in the city of Munich.
At the age of 27, the “17 November” weightlifter of Tirana broke the Olympic record of Yoshinobu Miyake of Japan in Germany, in the strength style. The competition took place on August 29, 1972 and Ymer Pampuri managed to lift 127.5 kilograms. In addition to the medals and titles, he was also awarded the title “Grand Master of Work”, as well as the “Naim Frashëri” order of the first class.
In 1981, he finally gave up the sport, which had given him so many emotions for several years in a row, and returned to the surroundings of the Tirana Circus, where he would retire at the age of 50. After retiring in 1994, Ymer Pampuri sought to work to earn a living. He is now 63 years old and works only as a gatekeeper, at the Institute of Informatics and Applied Mathematics, INIMA. He still feels the pain of the premature loss of his wife. However, he must find strength to face a life that did not offer him what Pampuri gave to his sport and his country.
The Ministry of Education took him to visit the neurologist Bajram Preza!
Pampuri: “They called me crazy when I told them I was going to get a medal in ’72”
In 1972, when Ymer Pampuri and his coach, Zydi Mazreku, declared before leaving for the Munich Olympics that they would go to Germany to get medals, many of the Albanian sports leaders at that time laughed. The statement of Pampuri and his coach became the subject of debate by many officials in the Ministry of Education, from which the sport depended at that time. There were also those who wanted Pampuri not to go, as he was not mentally well.
Even though he had previously achieved good results, no one thought that an Albanian athlete could win a medal in Munich, or set records that have not been broken yet. “I had done a good physical and technical preparation, and together with the coach we had confidence”, says Pampuri. “The sports managers thought that this statement of mine was just a distraction.
They even called me crazy and for this reason they asked me to visit a neurologist before I left for Germany. Together with the coach, we went to doctor Bajram Preza, where I underwent several medical visits. In conclusion, Dr. Preza said that I was healthy and could participate in the Munich Olympics. We went to the Olympics and I managed to get a medal”, says the World Champion, Ymer Pampuri. Memorie.al
