Turkish judo athlete Recep Çiftçi and powerlifter Besra Duman on Friday brought Turkey its first couple of bronze medals at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics.
Çiftçi snatched the medal after defeating his Venezuelan rival Marcos Dennis Blanco in the men’s 60 kg division by ippon, despite initially falling behind 1-0.
Duman, meanwhile, bagged the bronze in women’s 55 kg powerlifting category after lifting 124 kilograms.
Turkey’s Youth and Sports Minister Muharrem Kasapoğlu attended both events to support Turkish athletes, and he was the first to congratulate the duo.
Speaking to the reporters after her achievement, Duman said she was thankful to everyone who supported her throughout her journey.
For his part, Çiftçi said he was one step closer to his goals.
“I will keep working for the gold medal. I believe I have won an important medal for my country. Before I came here I had already set my goal.
“I am happy that I was able to keep my promise. We have always felt the support of our people with us. As I have said, I am really happy to be able to gift this medal to my people,” he said.
