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A scandal from Tirana that turned into a boomerang

2026-09-14 19:59:28Sport SHKRUAR NGA REDAKSIA VOX

A scandal from Tirana that turned into a boomerang

Sometimes all it takes is an Instagram post, a carefully chosen photo, and a little drama to create a “scandal.” Then, if the story falls into the hands of the right media, it can take on much larger proportions than the event itself.

This is what happened with the story of a Lithuanian judoka during the European Universities Championship in Tirana.

Marta Navickaitė chose social media to express her dissatisfaction with the accommodation conditions. The problem is that the more the story is checked, the more contradictions begin to emerge between what was told and what turns out to have happened. And in the end, the “scandal” remains much smaller than the noise that was created around it.

More attention on Instagram than on the tatami?

Instead of being remembered for her results on the mat, the Lithuanian judoka's name became known in Tirana for a series of posts on social media. The focus was on several premises presented as unclean and a jar of yogurt, which was claimed to be spoiled. A surefire way to attract attention.

Because a medal, a result or a sports performance require work and results. A video with the title "look what they gave us to eat" is enough for a few thousand views. And so, a university championship ended up turning into a social media story for him.

The "spoiled yogurt" that turned out to be...

One of the most controversial moments was the yogurt jar. In the published video, the product is interpreted as spoiled. Its appearance and color are used as an argument for the poor conditions of the food. But other footage shows that it is yogurt accompanied by a special package of fruit jam that is mixed by the consumer. So, the “proof” of a spoiled product had a much simpler explanation. It was yogurt with jam.

A detail that turns an important part of the story from a "food scandal" into a misinterpretation that was used to make the situation seem much more dramatic.

Then "Serbian propaganda" came into play.

Up to this point, we could talk about an individual post and the way an athlete chose to present her experience. But the story took on a different dimension when it was picked up by the Serbian media. “Kurir” published the story, conveying the narrative of the bad conditions in Tirana. And it is here that another element of this story becomes clear: the desire to interpret an individual episode in the most negative way possible for Albania.

An Instagram post turned into a “story” about conditions in Albania. Without much need for context. Without much interest in the other version. It was enough that the story was negative, came from a foreign athlete, and related to Albania.

Manipulated photos

But even the part about the photos of the premises begins to fall apart when compared to the testimonies of the dormitory managers. Director Olsi Shahini, in a conversation with Top Channel journalist Endi Tufa, explained that some of the photos used as evidence of the poor conditions were not taken in the rooms where the athletes were accommodated. According to him, some athletes had entered a part of the building that was out of order and had photographed those premises.

Meanwhile, the rooms where the delegations were accommodated in the dormitories of the Agricultural University of Kamza and the University of Economics were prepared and furnished for the championship. So, here too, the story begins to take on a different color.

A defunct building cannot easily be used as a photo of a delegation's accommodation.

And then the after-departure footage arrives

But perhaps the most ironic moment of the whole story comes when the athletes leave. The footage of the rooms after their stay shows water bottles left on the floor, coffee cups on the beds, piled-up sheets, trash and plastic cans. But that's not all.

Alcohol bottles are also seen in the abandoned facilities, along with coffee, water, and other waste. This is not an argument to say that all athletes are irresponsible.

Nor can it be claimed that every room was left in the same condition. But the contrast is undeniable.

A scandal that backfired

From fabricated photos to create a reality that wasn't there, to the Serbian media rushing to cover it up with "scandal", the story ended up leaving both sides speechless.

She wanted "likes", they wanted the sensation. But in the end, the facts ruined the party for both of them.


Në përputhje me standarded JTI

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