Aziz Salihu diagnosed with Alzheimer’s

Kosovo boxing legend Aziz Salihu has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. The news was confirmed by his daughter, Monika, who wrote that the family is united in supporting the legend.

“Dear fans, friends and family, I want to share my pain with you. Dad (Zizi Olimpiku) has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. We have always been together as a family and we will be for as long as I live… Trials come to every door, to every home. You cannot lie about the pain, because it is not just my parent, but life itself… I am and will die as THE BOXER’S DAUGHTER… Just as Aziz Salihu loved his family, he loved Kosovo and its people. Even today he loves you with all his heart, although he is different now. Yours, Zizi Olimpiku,” Monika wrote on Instagram.

Salihu, 71, is among the most successful athletes in the history of Albanian boxing. He was a multiple Yugoslav champion, while at the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, representing Yugoslavia, he won the bronze medal. 

Alzheimer’s is a neurodegenerative disorder that affects memory, thinking and behavior. It is the most common form of dementia and usually affects people over the age of 65. Symptoms begin with mild forgetfulness and gradually worsen, eventually leading to the loss of the ability to carry out daily activities.