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Last Sunday, at the Sports Palace in Kumanovo, the North Macedonians hosted Romania in a basketball game. The game was marred by nationalist incidents, as a group of North Macedonian fans called "Kumani" chanted anti-Albanian slogans.
The Albanian National Olympic Committee has also recently reacted to this serious incident. The umbrella organization of Albanian sports has said that it will delegate the issue to all International Olympic organizations, to take measures to ensure that such incidents of an ethnic nature do not happen again.
Reaction of the Albanian National Olympic Committee
" The Albanian National Olympic Committee has followed with concern the ugly episodes that occurred during the FIBA World Cup qualifying match between North Macedonia and Romania in the city of Kumanovo, where racist chants were heard against Albania and Albanians.
The Albanian National Olympic Committee strongly condemns these serious episodes, which tarnish the image of the countries, harm good neighborliness and affect the fundamental principles of the Olympic Charter.
The Albanian National Olympic Committee will denounce the event to all International Olympic Organizations, demanding that strong measures be taken against any action that violates equality and respect in sport.
"The NOC strongly raises its voice for the exaltation of the values of Olympism: excellence, friendship and respect, values that are not only related to sport; they aim to be applied in all aspects of life ," the NOC's response states.
After Albanian institutions raised their voices, an investigation has been opened into this incident in the neighboring country, while FIBA (International Basketball Federation) is also expected to take action in an independent investigation.
Moreover, some of the highest figures of the neighboring country were present at the Kumanovo Sports Hall, including Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski, Mayor of Kumanovo Maksim Dimitrievski, Minister of Foreign Affairs Panco Toshkovski, and Deputy Prime Minister Ivan Stoilkovic.
The chants - "Let the damned Albanians understand, the Macedonian name will not disappear. Pure, pure, pure Macedonia," some of the fans in the stands chanted.
Chants and chants were heard throughout the match. “A good Albanian is a dead Albanian,” was another chant chanted by the fans, as well as “Gas chamber for Albanians,” referring to what happened to Jews during World War II.
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