8-year-old Kurdish judo star dedicates gold medals to ‘Kurdish nation’

"I’m a world champion. I’m a Kurd. I dedicate these medals to my nation."

Kurdistan 24 2019/09/01 14:55

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – An 8-year-old Kurdish judo champion has dedicated his numerous gold medal wins to the people of Kurdistan.

Celal Eladin is from Kazakhstan. He now lives in Germany. The 8-year-old’s father was a former judo champion.

Eladin recently won a gold medal at the 2019 Abu Dhabi World Jiu-Jitsu Festival.

“I was a champion in Abu Dhabi. I was a champion in Kazakhstan. I’m a world champion. I’m a Kurd. I dedicate these medals to my nation,” he told Kurdistan 24.

Celal Eladin during an interview with Kurdistan 24.

The young Kurdish athlete trains at a gym located in southeastern Kazakhstan. His coach Eladin Mistefayov leads the Ze Radiola Team, whose young athletes have become champions in tournaments around the world.

“I am a Kurd. I train adults and children like Celal who are interested in the sport,” Mistefayov told Kurdistan 24.

“We went to Abu Dhabi this year for the international championship where we won the gold medal.”

Judo is a type of martial art and combat sport that originates from Japan. It involves grappling and takedowns. The sport is prominent at the Olympics as well as tournaments around the globe.