Palokë Nika

Palokë Nikaj (1892–1961) was a 20th-century Albanian athlete, sports events organizer, footballer, referee, and sports journalist. His pioneering activities in sports made him one of the most notable figures in organized sports in Albania. He is recognized as one of the most important initiators of the creation of KF Vllaznia Shkodër, but he also helped create KF Tirana, by being its first coach.

Life Palokë Nika was born in 1892 in Gimaj, Shalë. In 1908, while pursuing a secondary college, he played at a local team in Piedmont, Italy. Later, he became the captain of Indipendenca Shkodër, a local football team, located in Shkodër, Albania. In spring 1913, Indipendenca Shkodër played an unusual game against a selection of footballers of the Austro-Hungarian Imperial Navy, which at that time was in Albania, in order to guarantee the borders of the newly created country. In 1919, Nika was one of the founders of KF Vllaznia Shkodër of which he was also captain and coach.

In 1920, after having helped create the newly formed KF Tirana, which he also coached, he initiated a friendly match between KF Tirana and Juventus Shkodër, which was a selection of players from Bashkimi Shkodran, later to be known as KF Vllaznia Shkodër. while a street in his native city bears his name.