The Italian-Albanian archer, who has lived in Italy since the 2000s, suffered the injury that changed his life in 2004 in which he lost his right hand. He, however, did not give up and built his career as a Paralympic athlete, becoming Italian champion several times. But he says that there are many difficulties: “This is a very expensive sport and I also have a responsibility towards my family”
A serious accident at work which occurred in 2004 caused him to lose his right hand. Despite this she wanted to enter the world of paralympic sport becoming in a few years also Italian para archery champion, Paralympic archery. His name is Kelmend Cekajhas dual Italian-Albanian nationality and competes for the Albanian national team, even if he is followed by a staff made up of Italian professionals such as Antonio Zara (equipment technician), Marco Barigozzi (archery equipment technician), Fabio Galimberti (physiotherapist since 2004), Elio Imbres (coach) and on behalf of Inail the doctor Giorgia Albanese. His honor roll is remarkable, considering that she started practicing this discipline in 2016. His victories: senior team compound targa 2018, Italian para archery compound team overall targa champion 2018, Italian para archery compound senior indoor champion 2019, Italian para archery compound indoor absolute champion 2019.
These days he was in Czech Republic to participate in the qualifying tournament for the Paralympics in Tokyo 2020, where he however failed to hit the target. He still has the hope of receiving the so-called “Invitation” formal meeting of the Paralympic Committee which, in some cases, reserves places for certain athletes for particular reasons. Contacted by Ilfattoquotidiano.it while he was returning to Italy, Cekaj said: “In the Czech Republic it was a really important sporting experience, for every athlete taking part in these competitions is an honor because these events make you grow and learn a lot”.
Cekaj does not see this sport as a profession but as a passion. “More than a para archey professional, I feel like an amateur in the best sense of the term, who always wants to improve and grow. Participating in international tournaments and competitions fills me with joy and stimulates me. In recent days I have challenged some of the strongest athletes in the world, it’s a shame about not qualifying but this is also sport.”
The champion trains at the facility Archers of Roccoloinside a park in Canegrate, near Legnano, where he has lived since the 2000s with his entire family. He also participated in the World Championship ‘s-Hertoghenbosch in When. “I am looked after by a staff who is of great help to me, there is someone who takes care of my mechanical equipment and someone who helps me with physiotherapy, in addition to my coach. I’m looking for a sponsor because it is a very expensive sporting discipline and I would like to find someone to help me cover the costs.” At the moment Kelmend is also without employment and hopes to receive a job opportunity to help his family and be able to move forward with greater serenity. Since 2016 you can only participate in team competitions having opted for the Albanian national team.
In 2002, Kelmend left Albania to come to Italy. From the day of his injury, at the age of 35, his life changed completely. A former worker from Legnano, he is a patient of Inail and was offered a sporting course with the CIP. The first thing that strikes you about Kelmend is his stubbornness and desire to learn. In his life he never stopped testing himself and, above all, he made sport and archery one of his greatest personal challenges. His coach Imbres tells Ilfattoquotidiano.it who “supports him as an Inail client, being able to take advantage of this opportunity as a person injured at work. Kelmend is a good athlete and I don’t see him as a disabled person.” Every year he competes without his right hand against champions of world importance. At a competitive level, archery is a very expensive discipline. “A good bow costs around 1,400 euros – says Kelmend – Then there are the arrows and sights. For this I must thank the Inail office in Legnano which also helped me with the purchase of some useful tools”.
Archery is complex for Cekaj. “He made himself a jacket on which he placed one mechanical release as an aid where a thread starts that goes around the neck and then has a spring that is inserted into the mouth and pressing with your teeth the spring manages to release the arrow”, explains the coach. With Covid it was more difficult to find each other for training sessions. Archery requires patience, precision and technique and these are all fundamentals that Kelmend possesses. “I live in Pavia – continues the coach -, he in Legnano, we have seen each other little or nothing this year. With Kelmend I experience a continuous exciting sporting adventure, in a short time we have managed to achieve truly important goals. He is the only Albanian to have managed to reach a certain type of scores”. Now Cekaj has two big dreams to realize: “I would really like to participate in the Paralympics with one sponsor and I would like to find a Work because I still feel like a resource for society despite everything.”
2021-07-13 07:00:00
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