Photograph by Claire Behan
Andi Qorrolli has found his superpower in basketball.
Because the ball is handed hectically round him, the coaches shouting directions from the sidelines and spectators clapping from the stands, the 19-year-old stays completely calm and composed.
“I’m all the time chilled. I’m a grasp of endurance. I by no means been nervous or offended.”
Andi Qorrolli – Particular Olympics Kosovo athlete
Nervousness, anger, frustration – Qorrolli confirmed none of those feelings when he performed for the Kosovo workforce on the Regional West Balkans Unified 3×3 Basketball Event, which was held in Tirana, Albania from 1 to three December 2023.
True to his self-assessment, Qorrolli didn’t even get rattled when he managed to attain within the closing seconds of the match for third place towards Shkoder, one of many 4 groups that represented hosts Albania.
“I scored within the final second. It was good,” he recalled. “First it was troublesome to attain, however then I warmed up after which I scored.”
That endurance and self-control have served Qorrolli effectively ever since he began enjoying basketball at age 10. Whereas his first trainings didn’t all the time yield the excessive scores he’s used to now, the younger athlete was not discouraged.
“I all the time went to the stadium. It’s very outdated. I get my ball. I all the time practise to attain,” Qorrolli stated. “I missed more often than not, however after enjoying extra time, by practising, I scored.
“It was troublesome, however it was value it.”
Photograph by Claire Behan
Qorrolli has additionally tried different workforce sports activities, comparable to volleyball and soccer, and continues to play soccer with buddies as a passion. Basketball, nonetheless, has all the time been his first alternative.
“I get pleasure from it very a lot. I all the time play basketball. I cannot change it with different sports activities,” he stated. “It makes me tall, higher, more healthy.”
Whereas he could be discovered on the basketball courtroom each night, by day Qorrolli is a diligent scholar. He attends faculty courses and specialises in English language research.
“I all the time appreciated it because the first college,” he stated of selecting to review English. “And my trainer, she helped me to practise the language higher to not combine it up.”
Qorrolli dietary supplements his language studying by listening to overseas music and watching motion motion pictures. The Quick & Livid automobile racing saga is considered one of his favourites—and serves as inspiration for his nimble strikes on the basketball courtroom.
#EBW2023 – West Balkans Unified 3×3 Basketball Event in Albania – Highlights
Step again into the energetic environment of the Particular Olympics West Balkans Unified 3×3 Basketball Event! Few weeks in the past, the groups had been arriving in Tirana, Albania, and warming up for one of many greatest and most profitable occasions of EBW2023. Large congratulations to all of the programmes concerned and a heartfelt thanks to the companions that made this potential. This occasion was a part of the challenge “Shoot for Inclusion” – applied throughout the regional initiatives of the United Nations companies “Youth for Inclusion, Equality and Belief”, which is financed by the United Nations Peace Fund. In Albania, this initiative is applied by the native places of work of UNDP Albania and UNFPA Albania.The “Shoot for Inclusion” challenge goals to interact younger folks with and with out mental disabilities in sports activities actions offering them with an setting freed from discrimination, hate speech & violence.
The Particular Olympics Kosovo athlete additionally flexes his endurance muscle tissues by doing English crossword puzzles.
“My expertise is that generally I play crosswords,” Qorrolli stated. “It provides me endurance, provides me the coolness, [the ability to] discover out the weak level.”
The event in Tirana was Qorrolli’s first time at a world competitors. Interested in overseas languages and cultures, his predominant spotlight from the occasion was assembly fellow younger gamers from the three different nations represented: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina and North Macedonia.
Qorrolli’s massive dream is to journey even additional, to English-speaking nations, the place he hopes to practise his language expertise whereas working as an assistant.
“I’ll go to all of them and go to all of them,” he promised.