Albanian PM hosts world champion boxer

Prime Minister Edi Rama hosted Albanian boxer Jurgen Uldedaj on the podcast “Flasim (Let’s Talk) – Stars of the Year”, Season 5, Episode 12.

Uldedaj, who has trained between Germany and England since 2017, competes under the Albanian flag in international bouts, helping raise Albania’s colours in European and global arenas, CE Report quotes ATA.

In October, he was crowned world champion in the IBO Cruiserweight division (International Boxing Organization).

At the start of the podcast, Uldedaj presented Rama with a symbolic gift from the IBO, one of the five major professional boxing federations worldwide.

“I have lived in Germany for 11 years. I do my physical preparation there, near Munich, while I train technically in England,” Uldedaj said.

He said his boxing career began in his hometown of Lezha, where he first joined the sport as a teenager. He later moved to Tirana for education and professional training before leaving for Germany at the age of 17.

While in Albania, Uldedaj was part of the national team, winning medals at European and world championships.

He said he later signed with a leading German club and built a professional career of 15 fights. In 2018, he fought in Albania in the country’s first professional boxing event.

Uldedaj said injuries had been a major challenge, including multiple surgeries, stressing the mental strength required in individual sports.

Asked about future prospects, he said Albania has always produced talent and added that he hopes to support young boxers after retiring.