Olympic champion in the weight category up to 52 kg, Rio 2016

Kelmendi, 24 years old, who became a national hero as she was also the first world champion from her country, is currently here in Israel, preparing for the European Championship in Kazan in two weeks and for the Olympic Games. To the article

In a special interview with Ynet Sport, Kalamandi tells the reasons for her arrival in Israel, her near-term goals, the honor she received - carrying the Kosovo flag at the opening ceremony, and also about the feeling of not being allowed to represent the country and being required to wear the international federation's symbol on your back instead of your nationality, as happened to Israel recently.

"It's very nice to be here, this is my first time in Israel," says Kalamandi, at the end of another day of training she is conducting with the Israeli women's national team. The special camp also includes athletes from Greece, Belgium, Turkmenistan and Georgia, and she asks to do the interview, of course, with a Kosovo flag behind her. "I've wanted to come here for a very long time, my coach and some friends have come here before, but for me this is the first time."

Why did you choose to hold a training camp in Israel?

"Women's judo in Israel is very strong, at a very high level, and that's why I always wanted to come here. I have a lot of training rivals, especially in my weight, up to 52 kg. Even if I were looking for another training camp now, I wouldn't be able to find anything better than this. This is a perfect camp before the European Championships."

If you already mentioned the European Championship, what are you referring to there?

"My goal, of course, is to take the gold medal, I'm really preparing for it. I feel like I'm in good shape, so I hope everything comes together there. I had a long period of injuries last year, but this year I came back very well - I won the gold medal at the Grand Slam in Paris this year, when in judo we compare it to a world championship, because it's a strong competition, so I hope for the best at the European championship."

Kalamandi suffered quite a few injuries last year, when a herniated disc prevented her from participating in the recent world championships in Astana, but she still came there to get to know her opponents. There, she formed a warm relationship with the Israeli team's physiotherapist, Nimrod Moshe, who treated other well-known athletes such as the Greek Elias Ilidis, and following him, she decided to come to Israel, not only to train, but to continue her treatment.

"It's not just the people in judo, everyone here welcomes you," says Kalamandi. "I was really surprised and impressed that both the coach and the physiotherapist are just amazing, they take such good care of me, my friends, my coach. I can say that even my country can't take care of me like this."

"It's impossible to find doctors in my country who specialize in my problems. I'm a two-time world champion, I'm a European champion, but I don't have a doctor, I don't have a physiotherapist, I simply don't have anything, just my coach, but here there are and they're all amazing, and I just want to thank them from the bottom of my heart."