By Namik Mehmeti
Memorie.al/ This photo from the 60’s was taken in Rrëshen of Mirdita, when the team “Minatori” of this city participated in the third category in the national volleyball championship. It consists of a group of teachers, some of whom were from Shkodra. They had played with the youth teams of Vllaznia, but when they claimed to play in the first teams, for biographical reasons, they were abandoned as undesirable for spots in the biography. This is what happened to the talented athletes from Shkodra, such as: Skënder Sinani, Xhelal Haxhi, Skënder Mehmeti, Gjovalin Dredhaj, Çezar Çefa, etc. In 1964, Rrësheni, ie “Minatori”, was declared champion in the third category, which took place in Peshkopi. The participation of the “Miner” of Rreshen was not planned by the Albanian Handball Federation. After a meeting with the former leader of this Federation, N. Kadiu, a respected and very kind name to expand the map of these activities to Mirdita, the author of these lines gave the opportunity of a meeting with the Chairman of the State Committee of Sports, Vasil Konomin, who, after hearing the names of the aforementioned athletes, where the team of “Minatori” included well-known athletes who had played with “Student” as, ing. Geologist, Ibrahim Shkreli, etc., without any hesitation approved the participation of “Minatori” in this activity. Why were these sports talents not preferred for Shkodra, ie for “Vllaznia”?! So, the stains on the biography forced them to abandon their youthful dream to be affirmed as athletes. Skënder Sinani that in the benches of the Pedagogical School in Shkodra, thanks to his body height, the coaches included him in the first formation, showing the true values of a pontoon shutter. But his father Hamdi Sinani, in the years of the Zog Monarchy, had been the District Commander, in some cities of the country, and with the coming of the communists to power, he was condemned as “enemy of the people”. Despite the interventions of the leaders of “Vllaznia” and the coaches, the Party Committee gave the orientation that: ‘this name is not worthy to represent” Vllaznia “. The same happened with another sports talent, Skënder Mehmeti, where the coaches of the youth teams of “Vllaznia”, prof. Feti Dizdari, prof. Esat Haxhi, the well-known football coach Xhelal Juka, insisted on listing him, first in athletics, second in basketball, and Juka in football. It is about my brother, Skender Mehmeti. He was born to become a famous athlete. He liked basketball more and the coach of “Vllaznia”, Esat Haxhi, was convinced of this, who paved the way for his affirmation in the benches of the Pedagogical high school, where in 1958, Skender was the winner of the Albanian Cup with “Vllaznia”, alongside well-known masters such as Muhamet Sokoli, Vullnet Ademi, Luan Shatku, Skënder Osmani, Agim Quku, etc., and peers such as V. Kalaja, L. Tarri, Z. Çoba, F. Karafili, etc. Coach Esat Haxhi did his best to appoint him a teacher in Shkodra, but by order of Sul Baholli and Qamil Peshqeshi, his appointment was canceled. In Rrëshen, where he worked for five years, he suffered a lot from leaving “Vllaznia” and his life did not go well, as the depression had its effect. And all this mistreatment came because our father, as a clerk of the Zogiste Monarchy (prefect, n / prefect, mayor from Vermoshi to Jergucat), was sentenced as “enemy of the people”, to 10 years in prison. Xhelal Haxhi, even though he was a well-known name in Albanian sports, with the “Student” in volleyball, even though he was the brother of prof. Esat Haxhit, Shkodra, of course the Party Committee, did not intervene to appoint him a teacher in his city, where with the youth of “Vllaznia” was declared national champion, along with well-known names, such as Ali Bushati, Vuktor Jubani, Ndoc Pistulli etc… The Haxhi family was also followed by a stain on the biography, as their father had been a clerk of the Zogist Monarchy. Xhelali even when the green light was given to him, to represent the colors of “Vllaznia” did not have the luck to continue his sports career, after he was included in the team of his beloved city, “Vllaznia”, in the friendly tournament in Kosovo, in 1968, where it is known the reprisals undertaken by the State Security Party, not only against Shkodra volleyball, but also all sports teams, where the football team suffered, which was excluded from the European Cups. All three of these talented athletes, who were also close friends, although with the advent of democracy found the welcome of their friends in “Vllaznia”, especially Mark Grimci who had played with them in youth teams, and later in the role of the inspector and the head of the Vllaznia Club. But to the misfortune of them and their families, these three close friends passed away at the most beautiful age, without enjoying that victory of democracy, when the communist dictatorship had denied them their dreams and desires for sports. But this was also the case with another sports talent, Çezar Çefa, as he had a runaway brother, Jul Çefa, former athlete of “Vllaznia”, but also with the national javelin throwing champion, the master of sports, Llesh Vuksani, the champion athlete in athletics Fozilet Luli (Burazeri) who gave up the sport for biographical reasons. The years that these athletes spent in Miredita, although they had a “stain” on their backs, they were given the opportunity to do sports, despite the difficult economic and social conditions, Shkodra athletes contributed a lot to the development of sports in this province. This is thanks to the support of the Education and Culture section, especially a sports-loving inspector, such as Prend Jaku and the former Chief of Education, Çesk Kumrija. But we should not deny the contribution of Mirdita athletes, who created a warm environment for their friends from Shkodra. I remember here the names of Preng Përgjetani, prof. Ndue Toma, Namik Ruçi, Dritan Arapi etc./Memorie.al
