On this day in 2014, the Kosova Olympic Committee was officially welcomed into the International Olympic Committee (IOC) as a full member. The announcement came during the 127th IOC session held in Monaco, solidifying a decision initially made by the executive board in October of the same year. This momentous occasion enabled Kosova to compete on the global sports stage as an independent nation for the first time.

President of the Kosova Olympic Committee at the time, hailed the decision as historic. “This is a new era for the Olympic movement in Kosova,” enthusiastically told the assembly. IOC President Thomas Bach echoed the sentiment, saying, “This was a very important decision, particularly for the athletes of Kosova. Now they can start to prepare for the Rio Olympics.”

Kosova’s Minister of Youth, Culture, and Sports at that time, described the inclusion as a “truly historic moment.” He emphasized that the decision “ended two decades of injustice and isolation, which has plagued Kosova sport and has prohibited thousands of Kosova athletes from being equal on the world stage.”