The International Judo Federation (IJF) sent a gold-colored patch for the back of the kimono and a special letter to the Paris Olympics champion, reports the “Adyrna” national portal.
Eldos Smetov, who triumphed in the 60 kg weight category at the Paris Olympics, received a letter and a gold patch from the federation. According to IJF rules, the names of Olympic champions are written in gold on their kimonos.
“On behalf of the International Judo Federation (IJF), we would like to sincerely congratulate you on winning an Olympic medal. Your hard work, skill, and determination truly paid off, bringing you to the podium at the 2024 Paris Olympics. We witnessed an exceptional level of judo, where you were one of its main protagonists. You have made history in judo and left an indelible legacy in our sport. You continue to achieve remarkable success in judo, becoming the champion of the 2024 Paris Olympics. In addition, you won a silver medal in Rio de Janeiro in 2016 and a bronze medal in Tokyo in 2020. Your 2015 World Championship title and two World Championship bronze medals show the depth of your achievements. Your steps in judo have inspired future judokas not only in Kazakhstan but worldwide, as an Olympic champion. We are delighted to send you the new patch that marks you as an Olympic champion, and we trust that you will wear it with honor in the future,” reads the letter from the IJF, shared by Smetov on his Instagram Stories.
