Character/ Orlando Koja, an example of success in volleyball, from family tradition to international triumphs

2025-03-31 15:52:00, Aktualitet CNA

Character/ Orlando Koja, an example of success in volleyball, from family

Orlando Koja, the coach of the first girls' volleyball team "Skënderbeu", tells CNA TV about his long and successful journey in volleyball.

Born into a family with a tradition in the sport, his passion was born at a young age, inspired by his father, Vangjel Koja, a well-known name in Albanian volleyball. Koja recalls that his first contact with volleyball occurred at the age of 5-6, when he closely followed his father's matches and training sessions. Watching the high-level teams he led up close, he became fascinated by the sport and began to see himself as part of it.

"From a young age, my father (Vangjel Koja) was the example and initiator who brought me to the volleyball courts. I followed him since I was little, I watched the matches since I was 5-6 years old. I watched the high-level teams that my father trained and played for. I became passionate about it from that age," said Koja.

However, his journey was not easy. In Albania at that time, there was an idea that the children of famous coaches or athletes had to prove their worth even more in order not to be seen as simple followers of their parents. For this reason, Koja emphasizes that from the beginning he faced difficult challenges in building an independent name.

Character/ Orlando Koja, an example of success in volleyball, from family

"It has always been a challenge, because in Albania at that time there was a little bit of that idea, which no longer exists, that you had to prove even more that you had value and not stay in your father's shadow, so it has always been a challenge and I have faced difficult situations. But, passion has prevailed and I have always moved forward," said Koja.

His sporting career began in the sports classes of the “Fan Noli” school, where he was fortunate enough to be trained by some of the legends of Albanian volleyball such as Asllan Rusi, Leonard Tase and Todi Koçi. After that, he moved to the youth teams, where he was treated by another big name, Ylli Shehu. At the age of 16, he joined the first team of Dinamo, where he had the opportunity to play at high levels and win several championship titles with this team. However, since his father was the coach of Dinamo, Orlando felt that this put him in a difficult position. He wanted to prove himself outside of his influence and create his own independent path.

Character/ Orlando Koja, an example of success in volleyball, from family

"My career started with the sports classes of the 'Fan Noli' school. My first coaches were Asllan Rusi, Leonard Tase, Todi Koçi, all legends of Albanian volleyball. They taught us from a young age with love, with the technique and the high level that they had. Then I moved to the youth teams, where I had coach Ylli Shehu, another legend of Dinamo volleyball. At the age of 16 I moved to the first team of Dinamo and participated in several championship titles that we won at that time. There I felt a little cramped working with my father, it was a difficult relationship and for this reason I decided to leave for the 'Student Club' where the coach was Ylli Tomorri, another legend of volleyball", - recalls Koja.

In 1990, Koja made an important decision: to leave Albania to continue his career in Italy. For an Albanian volleyball player at that time, this was a big step, as Albanian volleyball did not have a well-known name on the international scene. After many efforts and hard work, he managed to play in the highest categories and win the Italian Cup, one of the greatest successes of his career as a volleyball player.

Character/ Orlando Koja, an example of success in volleyball, from family

"In 1990 I decided to leave Albania and started with Italian volleyball, from scratch because we didn't have much of a name in this field either. I climbed the ladder step by step until I managed to win the Italian Cup in the following years. I made all the steps, from category 3-4 to 2-1, I won a lot and I became complete," said Koja.

In 2015, Koja decided to take on a new challenge and move to the United States. There, he became the sports director of the volleyball club “Forza 1”, a club with about 60 teams, led by Kristina Nikolli, a famous former Albanian volleyball player. During that 10-year period, he had the opportunity to get to know American volleyball closely and raise the level of the teams he led. During this time, he won several important tournaments, including the gold medal in the Las Vegas tournament and bronze medals in Indianapolis and Philadelphia.

"In 2015, I decided to go and try the American experience. I was the sports director of a volleyball club called "Forza 1" with about 60 teams. The owner was a former volleyball player from Vllaznia e Shkodra, Kristina Nikolli, who wanted me to raise the level of her club. I stayed there for 10 years and had all the teams and all the championships of different ages in my possession. It was a fantastic experience because I had the opportunity to see American volleyball, which is of a high level, and to participate in all these activities, winning several cups. We also won the gold medal in the Las Vegas tournament. We came out twice with bronze medals in the Indianapolis and Philadelphia tournaments. Very complete experiences where I raised my level as a coach and as an athlete in general," said Koja.

After a decade abroad, Orlando Koja decided to return to Albania and work with local volleyball. For three years, he has been leading the “Skënderbeu” girls' team in Korça, where he has achieved great success.

Character/ Orlando Koja, an example of success in volleyball, from family

"These last three years I have been back in Korça. I am very pleased to have had this experience in Korça by winning titles here as well. In three years we have won over 10 cups so we are very pleased", said Koja.

According to him, one of the main problems of Albanian volleyball today is the lack of a proper structure for the development of ages. He shows that in the past, ages were worked with scientifically and under very good conditions, emphasizing that this is the basis of a strong volleyball and we must return to this model.

"The first thing I can say very clearly is that back then, we worked with ages in a scientific way, with very good conditions, with high-level coaches. Our handicap starts from the age level and goes up to the adult teams. Working with ages is the basis of the volleyball level, those good schools have a very systematic and very organized work with ages," said Koja.

His connection to volleyball remains not only professional, but also family. Orlando Koja has two sons and three daughters, and his two sons are already following in his footsteps.

Character/ Orlando Koja, an example of success in volleyball, from family

"I have two sons and three daughters who are younger, but the two older sons play volleyball. One plays with the Pristina team in Kosovo and the other with the Student team. They are good players, I like that they have desire and work hard, so the Koja family tradition in volleyball continues," says Koja.

From a child who admired his father's matches, to an athlete and coach with international experience, Orlando Koja has built a rich and successful career in volleyball. With dedication, hard work and numerous challenges, he has reached the top of this sport, both as a player and as a coach, leaving his mark on Albanian, Italian and American volleyball. Today, he continues to contribute to the development of volleyball in Albania, successfully leading the "Skënderbeg" team. For him, success is not measured only by the titles and trophies won, but by the improvement and growth of each player he trains. Meanwhile, the volleyball tradition in the Koja family continues with the new generation, proving that passion and love for this sport are values ??that are passed down from one generation to the next./CNA