Qazim Dervishi

Qazim Dervishi (10 June 1908 – 19 January 1994) was the first Albanian international referee and a talented athlete and footballer.

A 22-month investigation was made from the "Sigurimi" that "found enough proofs" to declare him guilty of propaganda against the communist regime.

As soon as Dervishi went for studies in Tirana, he started taking part in the sportive activities that were held in the school and often was named among the excellent students in sports.

It should be mentioned that in an interview of Master Irfan Tershana, it is stated that Qazim was also one of the best baseball players of the Technical School.

He improved his result to 12.41 meters in the triple jump, which secured him another first place in the National Athletics Championship of 1933.

In fact, the school's vice-director Williams B. Juillirat chose him as a permanent advisor in football along with Spiro Kristo in baseball and Vangjel Qirio in basketball.

In 1929 he was called from SK Durrës football club to play in an international friendly match versus US Bari, of Italy, in that time a Serie A team.

Some of the players discovered were Muhamet Dibra, Pal Mirashi, Bahri Kavaja, Hamdi Bakalli, and Xhevdet Shaqiri.

The first ever official basketball match in Albania was played on March 2, 1928, between the Technical School and the "Malet Tona" campus.

After a year of training, on June 27, 1930, was held the first basketball match in the city of Shkodër between the local team of the "Malet Tona" campus and the "Naim Frasheri" club from Tirana.

He also was the only Albanian referee in the 1946 Balkan Games where the Albania national football team won the championship.