The “scandal” of the Lithuanian judoka in Tirana: Serbian media misinterpretation and the organizers’ response

A series of social media posts by Lithuanian judoka Marta Navickaitė during the European Universities Championship in Tirana became the object of media debate, after her claims about poor accommodation conditions spread quickly through regional media.

The athlete published images of several unclean premises and of a yogurt cake, claiming she had been served spoiled food. However, verification of the images showed that the food product was simply yogurt accompanied by a jam packet for mixing, while the story was immediately amplified by the Serbian tabloid Kurir to present the event as a failure of organization in Albania.

The director of the dormitories, Olsi Shahini, reacted to the buzz, clarifying that the photos published by the athlete did not belong to the rooms where the delegation was accommodated. According to him, several athletes had entered a non-functioning building block to photograph the damaged premises. Shahini confirmed that the rooms designated for athletes at the Agricultural University of Kamzë and at Ekonomiku were fully furnished and prepared.

Meanwhile, the organizers also published footage of the rooms after the Lithuanian delegation’s departure, showing litter, alcohol and water bottles thrown on the floor — shedding light on the real dynamics of the event and refuting the claims of an organizational scandal.