Kosovo judo: We believe in the innocence of Akil Gjakova

After the news that the Kosovo Police declared the judoka Akil Gjakova a wanted person, the Judo Federation of Kosovo has now reacted. “Our judoka, Gjakova, is wanted for the criminal offense "Domestic violence", KosovaPress reports.

Now, the Judo Federation of Kosovo has officially reacted on "Facebook", indicating that Akili is outside of Kosovo, while among other things, the communiqué stated that "We believe in the innocence of Akili".

"The Judo Federation of Kosovo strongly condemns any form of violence and we are deeply concerned about the recent events in our country.

“We believe in Akil's innocence and hope that the law enforcement agencies will solve the case as soon as possible. Therefore, we invite the media to show prudence in handling this case and stop smearing and public judgment of one of the figures who continues to promote the positive image of our country. Akil is currently outside the territory of Kosovo, and will be immediately handed over to the law and justice authorities the moment he arrives in Kosovo", the statement of the Judo Federation read.

Gjakova, born  in 1996, in Peja, Kosovo has emerged as a shining star in Kosovo and was flagbearer at the 2020 Olympic Games for Kosovo and finished seventh, while his sister Nora became Olympic champion in the -57kg category.

Gjakova's journey in judo began at the age of six, alongside his sister, Nora Gjakova was inspired by his father's love for martial arts.

Training under the guidance of Driton Kuka, he built up a list of achievements and clinched the title of European Champion, a crowning moment that solidified his status as one of Kosovo's most accomplished judokas. In 2021, he became the European Champion in Lisbon, becoming the first Kosovan man ever to achieve this title. This year he won the European Open Championships Pristina U73kg.

He won the Grand Slam in Paris in 2018, the 2018 Grand Prix in Zagreb, and the 2019 Grand Slam in Budapest.

During his youth, he was the European Cadet Champion U18 in 2013 in the -66kg category and won the U23 title in 2018 in the -73kg category.