The Albanian Rafting Federation organized the "2023 National Rafting Championship" in the city of Berat on March 29, 2023.
Competitors were sports teams from Berat, Përmeti, Skrapari, Dibra, Elbasan, Saranda.
The participating sports associations were Albania Rafting Group, Black Drin Adventure, Albania Rafting - Vjosa, Albanian Sport & Tourismem Elbasan.
This championship shows that the sport of rafting has spread almost all over Albania where there are rivers suitable for this sport. It comes after the training for guides of the special rafting specialty that the Albanian Rafting Federation developed with applicants from all over Albania on the Osum river and in the river Vjosa in Permet.
The downriver winners are listed as follows:
In third place the team of Bistrica with the result 12 min and 23 seconds, in second place the team of Vjosa 11 minutes and 17 minutes and in first place Osumi 10 minutes and 44 seconds with captain Murat Mamurani.
The winning team will represent Albania in the 2023 World Rafting Championship that will take place in Valtellina, Italy on June 26 to July 2, 2023.
The president of the Albanian Rafting Federation Zamo Spathara emphasized to the participants that this truck showed an increase in the technical quality of the guides and an increase in the number of participants.
5 teams means 5 rivers where rafting takes place all year round, 5 consolidated realities, 5 defenders and promoters of rivers and water tourism activities.
The special feature of this training is that it was attended by citizens from Austria, Croatia and Hungary who practiced rafting in the Albanian rivers together with our trainers and guides.
Spathara adds that: "The future goal of the Albanian Rafting Federation is to turn rafting into a mass sport by starting to become part of the school sports curriculum, especially in the cities and villages that have the river as part of their lives".
Andrea Gatti, external expert for professional training of Albanian Rafting guides since 2014, added:
"The potential of the Albanian rivers is unimaginable and the Albanians and future generations will live with the income from tourism. The championship is important as it is a workshop from a technical and safety point of view and an educational opportunity for young people".
This activity was supported by the Municipality of Berat, the World Rafting Federation, the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports, the Albanian Olympic Committee
