Prishtina, 14 April, 2024
The Prime Minister of the Republic of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, participated in the solemn opening of the State E – sports Championship.
After congratulating the organizers for this competition, he said that the Federation for the first time has serious financial support from the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports.
“With the new law on sports, which is in the parliamentary procedure and has already passed the first reading, we have created the legal basis that enables the development of e – sports in Kosovo. We are among the few countries in the region and in the whole of Europe that are building state policies that enable the development of electronic games”, said Prime Minister Kurti.
E – sports is a new and exciting challenge for our youth and enthusiasts and it is also a platform to express yourself, to build cooperation and to cultivate youth talent in a digital environment.
“For Kosovo, this is an opportunity to show talent and innovation in the international arena. The union of these two sectors brings greater potential for development, which should be promoted with increased care by all of us in the future”, said the Prime Minister.
Furthermore, Prime Minister Kurti added that “The organization of international events in Kosovo is one of the policies that the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports has prioritized. Therefore, we aim to bring competitions to Kosovo together with the Federation and the electronic games community and E – sports tournaments, which are held here, as often as possible, so that Kosovo becomes the epicenter of this organization, not only in the region, but also in Europe and the world.
Prime Minister Kurti’s complete speech:
The honorable Mr. Altin Preniqi, president of the Federation, E-sports Kosovo,
Honorable Mr. Ismet Krasniqi, Chairman of the Kosovo Olympic Commission,
The honorable Mr. Parparim Rama, mayor of the Municipality of Pristina,
The honorable Mr. Igor Nedeski, director of event organization of the International E-sports Federation,
Dear Mr. Samy Bessi, who is the vice president of the Global E-sports Federation,
Honorable Flatron Halimi, member of Bad News Eagles,
Dear guests, ladies and gentlemen, sisters and brothers,
Welcome to this very important event for the Esports community today.
The E-sports Federation of Kosovo is a relatively new federation but with a great and good potential for success in the future. The Federation for the first time has serious financial support from the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports, because it was recently licensed by this ministry at the end of last year.
With the new law on sports, which is in the parliamentary procedure and has already passed the first reading, we have created the legal basis that enables the development of E – sports in Kosovo. We are among the few countries in the region and in the whole of Europe that are building state policies that enable the development of electronic games.
This organization, i.e. the State Championship in E – sports, is one of the largest organizations of FESK. For the first time, the championship finals are taking place physically.
Since the beginning of the state championship, 180 teams have participated, competing in Counter-Strike and e-football. While today the finals take place with the four best teams, the winner, in addition to being declared state champion, will also represent Kosovo in further international competitions.
E-sports is a new and exciting challenge for our youth, and not only for us who are no longer young, and it is also a platform to express ourselves, to build cooperation and to cultivate youth talent in a digital environment.
Wherever an activity or a job is done, there are also talents for that activity or that job.
Kosovo has proven this talent first in the technology sector and in the sports sector. So electronic sports are those spaces where technology and sport come together and when we have success in both of these, of course we will also have in E – sports where experiences meet and unite.
For Kosovo, this is an opportunity to show talent and innovation in the international arena. The union of these two sectors brings even greater potential for development, which should be promoted with increased care by all of us in the future.
It is important to build a culture of awareness and education about the use of technology. Young people must have the right information and environment to choose sustainable and healthy use of technology, avoiding excessive and uncontrolled use. So, technology should be at the service of each of us and not the other way around.
Another aspect is the connection of electronic sports with traditional sports activities. Players in these games while honing their skills and competing to win naturally, they should also promote a healthy lifestyle, and encourage players to maintain a good level of physical fitness to meet peak performance in the virtual arena.
So, virtuality and reality are not independent of each other. The stronger we are physically in reality, this will translate into increased performance in virtuality. The challenge is not easy because the heart and brain work a lot and maybe less the other muscles, but you should be careful that those of you who are in E – sports do not forget other sports as well. Just as we are trying to include E-sports within the infrastructure and legislation in Kosovo for sports.
Within electronic games we also have game developers, who are responsible for creating and developing the games we love. Their dedication and creativity are what bring the virtual world and exciting adventures to life for players. With our young talents and potential, together we must orient the commitment to the creation of new games through which the users and the international audience are targeted, and at the same time they can also serve as a promoter of the history, culture and virtues of our people.
The organization of international events in Kosovo is one of the policies that the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports has prioritized. Therefore, we aim to, together with the Federation and the electronic games community, bring to Kosovo E – sports competitions and tournaments, which are held here, as often as possible, so that Kosovo becomes the epicenter of this organization, not only in the region, but also more widely in Europe and the world.
Finally, I wish you much success in the races today and beyond, and let’s celebrate all the victories, regardless of the final result. Enjoyment in the process is also a win for you who play and for us who worship you. Thank you.
Last modified: April 15, 2024