Kazakh President congratulates Yeldos Smetov on Olympic gold medal

Tengrinews.kz - President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has congratulated Kazakh judoka Yeldos Smetov on his victory at the Olympic Games in Paris.

"I congratulate our judoka Yeldos Smetov on winning a gold medal at the Olympic Games in Paris! Thanks to his skill and strength of spirit, the flag of Kazakhstan is flying high," the head of state wrote on his page.

The Kazakh leader noted that Yeldos became the best in the world against the strongest rivals, winning the main competition of the quadrennium.

"Smetov is admired by the entire country. His victory is the victory of our entire nation," Tokayev emphasised.

31-year-old Yeldos Smetov faced French judoka Luka Mkheidze in the under 60-kilogram category. A minute before the end of the fight, Yeldos executed a waza-ari, earning Kazakhstan its first gold medal at the Paris Olympics.