Team Kosovo at World Mixed Doubles
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Let’s get Team Kosovo to the World Mixed Doubles Curling Championship!
For the first-time ever, Kosovo has been invited to participate in the 2019 World Mixed Doubles Championship April 20-27, 2019.
Not only is this an amazing opportunity for the country to promote itself internationally, it will also help to bring attention to this unique sport to the rest of Kosovo.
The story begins with my nephew, Peter Andersen, a Canadian national who started curling about the same time he started walking. He practically grew up living and breathing the sport at the Royal Kingston and Cataraqui curling clubs in Kingston Ontario. His passion for and dedication to curling led him to several club championships, countless bonspiels, and competition at the provincial and national levels. Along the way, he’s made friends across Canada and abroad who love the sport as much as he does.
After graduating from college in 2016, work took him to Kosovo. Although it has a curling federation, it has no clubs and no ice to play on. Peter missed curling so much that he:
- Shipped a Street Curling set from Canada so children could try curling at a celebration of sports day in Pristina in 2017
- Created a Curling Kosovo website, Facebook page, Instagram and Twitter account.
- Started a curling program in partnership with the American University in Kosovo
- Arranged a clinic for Kosovo’s first curlers to travel to Budapest to try curling on real ice with instruction by Scottish National Coach David Jones in 2018
- Represented the Kosovo Curling Federation at the World Curling Federation's World Curling Congress in 2017 and 2018.
As a result, his efforts have caught the attention of CBC Sports in Canada as well as the Kosovo media most recently in this article .
This year, Team Kosovo learned that it had earned a spot at the World Mixed Doubles Curling Championship 2019 in Stavanger, Norway, April 20-27. The team, completed by Eldena Dakaj and coach Meriton Zeneli, is excited and honoured to be representing Kosovo on the world stage.
“It’s a beautiful sport, which demands your complete focus,” says Meriton. “No matter what else is going on, from the moment you step on the ice, all you think about is curling.”
The first time she stepped on the curling sheet, Eldena says she and the ice “clicked.” Being curious about the new sport, she tried it last year for the first time and loved it from the start.
“Now I've taken it more seriously because I am going to represent Kosovo in its first curling game ever and also the first Kosovar woman ever for this game,” she says. “This really motivates me because we will also lead Kosovo as a team towards a new sport and probably medals - or at least we're hoping to!”
Estimated expenses (CAD)
a) To attend the World Mixed Doubles, April 20-27 2019
Flights: $1,700, Visas: $180
Accommodation and Transport: $2,200
Food: $1,000
Two sets of Team Shirts and Jackets (light and dark versions required): $750
Practice Ice Time (2 hours): $150
Total: $5,980
b) To practice in Bratislava, Slovakia, March 12-16 2019
Flights: $200, Visas: $160
Accommodation and Transport: $150
Food: $100
Ice Time (10 hours): $500
Total: $1,110
Grand Total: $7090 (CAD)
Become a part of the history of Kosovo and curling, and support them now!
Any amount, large or small, would be much appreciated to help Kosovo to make its curling debut on the world stage a success. It all adds up! Anything raised over the target will go to support continued curling development in Kosovo.
Please note that I (Judy Russell, Peter's aunt) will be withdrawing the funds donated to the gofundme, and sending them via internet transfer to Team Kosovo.
Thank you so much!
For the first-time ever, Kosovo has been invited to participate in the 2019 World Mixed Doubles Championship April 20-27, 2019.
Not only is this an amazing opportunity for the country to promote itself internationally, it will also help to bring attention to this unique sport to the rest of Kosovo.
The story begins with my nephew, Peter Andersen, a Canadian national who started curling about the same time he started walking. He practically grew up living and breathing the sport at the Royal Kingston and Cataraqui curling clubs in Kingston Ontario. His passion for and dedication to curling led him to several club championships, countless bonspiels, and competition at the provincial and national levels. Along the way, he’s made friends across Canada and abroad who love the sport as much as he does.
After graduating from college in 2016, work took him to Kosovo. Although it has a curling federation, it has no clubs and no ice to play on. Peter missed curling so much that he:- Shipped a Street Curling set from Canada so children could try curling at a celebration of sports day in Pristina in 2017
- Created a Curling Kosovo website, Facebook page, Instagram and Twitter account.
- Started a curling program in partnership with the American University in Kosovo
- Arranged a clinic for Kosovo’s first curlers to travel to Budapest to try curling on real ice with instruction by Scottish National Coach David Jones in 2018
- Represented the Kosovo Curling Federation at the World Curling Federation's World Curling Congress in 2017 and 2018.
As a result, his efforts have caught the attention of CBC Sports in Canada as well as the Kosovo media most recently in this article .
This year, Team Kosovo learned that it had earned a spot at the World Mixed Doubles Curling Championship 2019 in Stavanger, Norway, April 20-27. The team, completed by Eldena Dakaj and coach Meriton Zeneli, is excited and honoured to be representing Kosovo on the world stage.
“It’s a beautiful sport, which demands your complete focus,” says Meriton. “No matter what else is going on, from the moment you step on the ice, all you think about is curling.”
The first time she stepped on the curling sheet, Eldena says she and the ice “clicked.” Being curious about the new sport, she tried it last year for the first time and loved it from the start.
“Now I've taken it more seriously because I am going to represent Kosovo in its first curling game ever and also the first Kosovar woman ever for this game,” she says. “This really motivates me because we will also lead Kosovo as a team towards a new sport and probably medals - or at least we're hoping to!”
Estimated expenses (CAD)
a) To attend the World Mixed Doubles, April 20-27 2019
Flights: $1,700, Visas: $180
Accommodation and Transport: $2,200
Food: $1,000
Two sets of Team Shirts and Jackets (light and dark versions required): $750
Practice Ice Time (2 hours): $150
Total: $5,980
b) To practice in Bratislava, Slovakia, March 12-16 2019
Flights: $200, Visas: $160
Accommodation and Transport: $150
Food: $100
Ice Time (10 hours): $500
Total: $1,110
Grand Total: $7090 (CAD)
Become a part of the history of Kosovo and curling, and support them now!
Any amount, large or small, would be much appreciated to help Kosovo to make its curling debut on the world stage a success. It all adds up! Anything raised over the target will go to support continued curling development in Kosovo.
Please note that I (Judy Russell, Peter's aunt) will be withdrawing the funds donated to the gofundme, and sending them via internet transfer to Team Kosovo.
Thank you so much!
Organizer
Judy Russell
Organizer
Kingston, ON
