For the past two weeks, Dinamo’s volleyball player, Nayara Ferreira, has remained suspended by the Albanian Volleyball Federation (FSHV) until she undergoes a gender test.

Earlier reports suggested that the athlete had been reported by her opponents. One of the teams mentioned was Pogradeci, which has now issued an official statement emphasizing that the situation has been misinterpreted and that at no point did they request such a test.

“We asked the federation that, for the player in question — based on footage we’ve seen from her matches with other teams — a specific analysis be carried out to verify whether she is eligible to compete in this category and to check for any unfair advantages she might have over female players. By this, I mean the possible use of substances banned by international sports regulations or various hormonal therapies, which, as we’ve seen in the media, some athletes regularly use,” said Dorian Latifllari, Director of the Multifunctional Center in Pogradec.

Latifllari further stated that attempts are being made to discredit the team:

“The way this issue has been handled and the smear campaign against the Pogradec team — just because Pogradeci is currently in first place — are unacceptable. I want to point out that in the match against Dinamo, their team was complete, and the player in question took part in the game. Pogradeci won 3–2, thanks to the tremendous support of the people of Pogradec. Naturally, we celebrated that victory at home,” said Latifllari.

The incident has stirred strong public reactions, with many demanding full clarification from the relevant sports authorities.