Donjeta’s coach: Keep your head up, champion

Boxing coach Marjola Sallauka has reacted after her student, Donjeta Sadiku, was eliminated from the “Paris 2024” Olympic Games. Sadiku was stopped in the second bout of the boxing tournament at the Paris Games.

In Monday evening’s bout in the 60-kilogram category, Sadiku lost to Colombia’s Angie Paola Valdes Pina. Sadiku lost 3:2 according to the judges’ scoring.

“Donjeta, keep your head up, our champion. With the heart of a lioness, you fought until the very last atom for victory, but fate did not want you to adorn yourself with a medal at these Olympics. Nevertheless, you showed the world that one will soon be yours. The road to qualifying for these Games was very challenging, but we succeeded, with a superb performance, in securing the Olympic quota,” Sallauka wrote on Tuesday.

Sadiku won her first bout on Saturday against Thai boxer Thananya Somnuek.

“You achieved a great victory at the world’s biggest competition, and yesterday you showed everyone how to fight. Even though at this point you have nothing to prove to anyone, at such a young age you have already made history many times for Kosovo boxing. I am proud of you and your fights, because only I know that you gave everything you had for these bouts. That is what fate wanted, and you could not be 100%. I know your fighting spirit, which is why I know you will not give up. You will be even stronger, and together we will win every medal. Thank you, Kosovo; we have felt your support more than ever.”

For Donjeta, this is her second appearance at the Olympic Games and her first after qualifying with a quota place.