The Tirana Regional Football Association held its annual General Assembly, where members discussed the most important activities of the organization during 2024. The meeting was attended by 44 association members, represented by 66 delegates.
During the assembly, held this Wednesday afternoon at the “House of Football,” the activity report for 2024 was reviewed. Delegates also approved the 2025 budget and were informed about the achievements and challenges the association faced throughout 2024.
Present at this annual Assembly of the Tirana Regional Football Association were the President of the Albanian Football Association, Armand Duka, as well as the CEO of the “Sigal Uniqa” group, Mr. Avni Ponari, who was invited to present to the association members the initiative for providing health insurance for children playing football with SHRF Tirana member teams.
In his welcoming speech, President Duka stated that Albanian football experienced positive developments during 2024. He emphasized that the Association should work harder this year to generate its own financial income and further increase the number of girls participating in football.
“Football in Albania, in general, has seen positive developments and truly historic activities throughout this year, and the Tirana Association, as the largest association in Albania, undoubtedly has a special merit in this progress. In 2025, the Association will count 6,620 footballers, which represents one-quarter of all footballers in Albania. This highlights the significant potential and importance of the Tirana Regional Football Association for the Albanian Football Association.
Today, you will approve the financial statements for 2024 of the Association, which, unfortunately, still relies primarily on donations from the Albanian Football Association as its main source of income. There should be a tendency to change this in the future by generating more independent revenue. The Association’s leadership has already started working toward securing income through sponsorships and marketing its activities, not in the same way as other associations, but with a unique approach.
It has already started for you, but this voice should be the primary voice of income to support the normal development of activities. Undoubtedly, transparency in all financial statements is crucial. You should be fully aware of what has been done and where the funds are allocated, as this builds trust among you, helping to further consolidate and contribute even more to the financial health of the Association.
You will also approve the 2025 budget, which again primarily forecasts income from donations provided by the Federation, along with the continuation of projects such as ‘My Uniform,’ ‘Your Ball,’ and the implementation of various other initiatives.
Today, we have with us the CEO of Sigal, Mr. Avni Ponari, whom I thank for being here, to present another project initiated by the leadership of the Tirana Regional Football Association in collaboration with Sigal. If approved by you, this project will be implemented nationwide, introducing a health insurance and medical testing scheme for football players.
I believe that what we owe to football is even greater commitment from all of us, especially when it comes to women’s football. Currently, we have only 180 girls registered with the SHRF, a significantly low number compared to what it should be, especially in relation to the number of boys. We must all work together to increase this figure.
The participation of girls in football is extremely important, because even if they do not become professional players, they will become mothers one day and contribute to growing our community, which is ultimately our main goal,”- said President Duka in his welcoming speech.
Meanwhile, the CEO of the ‘Sigal Uniqa’ group, Avni Ponari, who also serves as the President of the Albanian Basketball Association, emphasized the importance of the sponsorship law and the need for continued cooperation until its approval. He also explained that the insurance contract covers expenses of up to 10,000 euros in the event of injuries to children.
“Thank you for the invitation, and congratulations on the successful organization of the Assembly. As the President of the Basketball Association, I feel a sense of duty and recognize the importance of organizing such events, exchanging experiences, maintaining communication with associations, and supporting all initiatives related to the development of sports.
The truth is, in the position I hold, I feel the great responsibility we, as presidents, have toward football and basketball associations. At the end of the day, the lack of investments and financial resources makes sports less vibrant than anything else. Albania still lacks a sponsorship law, which is essential and would place associations in a much stronger position, directly impacting the productivity of footballers and other athletes.
This is a process that neither President Duka, I, nor any other presidents have direct control over. However, lobbying efforts and requests for the approval of this law have already been directed toward the Government and Parliament. Yet, in some cases, your voice can be even more powerful than ours, and it must be persistent in clearly explaining what this law entails and the opportunities it creates for associations to develop sports. Therefore, a unified voice in support of its approval is crucial.
One of our core responsibilities, stemming from sports associations and federations, is to care for young, aspiring, and professional players alike. The benefits provided by insurance are significant. For children and all those involved in sports, securing their safety through proper insurance is essential.
As the General Director of Sigal in Albania, Kosovo, and North Macedonia, I see the difference: we have insured children in Kosovo and North Macedonia, while here, the numbers are still very low. It is our moral responsibility to care for athletes, and by having an insurance contract, we have the right to request coverage and medical treatment for the child from the insurance company until they fully recover.
This becomes essential, especially when the cost is low, yet the coverage reaches up to 10,000 euros. I wish you success and sincerely hope we have as few injured athletes as possible, fewer children in need of assistance, and that they continue their sports careers with the security of comprehensive insurance coverage,”- he concluded.
By decision of the delegates, five members were expelled from the Tirana Regional Football Association: JAA Tirana, European Football Academy, Term FC, ALB Sport Tirana, and Lapraka e Vjetër, due to their absence from sports activities organized by SHRFT for two consecutive seasons.
During the assembly, the financial statement for the period January–December 2024 was approved, and the delegates who will represent SHRFT at the AFA General Assembly were elected. These delegates are SHRFT chairman Krenar Alimehmeti, along with Andi Lila, Artan Vangjeli, Sonila Çekrezi, Ermal Myrta, and Endrit Kaca.
The Tirana Regional Football Association will welcome four new full-right members: Çangu Football Academy, Titans FK Football Academy, Zhupa Academy, and National Sport Park.
Additionally, SHRFT proposed changing its logo, and the delegates present voted in favor of a new, more modern and simplified design that retains historical elements and emphasizes its connection to the past.
