Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan, July 6, 2021: The captain of the national boxing team, Kamshybek Kunkabayev, and triple jump queen Olga Rypakova will be the flag bearers for Kazakhstan at the Opening Ceremony of the Tokyo Olympics on July 23.
Kunkabayev and 2012 London Olympic gold medallist Rypakova received the national flag of Kazakhstan from President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev at a ceremony held at the Akorda Presidential Palace on Sunday, July 4.
Members of the Kazakhstan Olympic delegation, headed by the President of the National Olympic Committee, Timur Kulibayev, and Minister of Culture and Sports Aktoty Raimkulova were present at the handing over ceremony of the national flag.
“It is a great honour to receive the flag of our country from you. We will do our best to raise this flag as often as possible in Tokyo and sing our anthem,” the 28-year-old Kunkabayev said after receiving the distinctive national flag from President Tokayev.
President Tokayev said: “I am confident you will live up to our expectations and write bright new pages in the history of national sports and the Olympic Movement. Your achievements will be the best gift for the 30th anniversary of Kazakhstan’s independence and will ignite thousands of young hearts. I wish you good luck.”
NOC President Kulibayev said: “We have been waiting for this Olympics for five years. The head of state and government paid close attention to the training of our Olympians. Everything possible has been done for them, and Kazakhstan is proud and hopeful that it will send its best athletes to Tokyo.”
For the first time, Kazakhstan will have two flag bearers at the opening ceremony. Two-time world silver medallist Kunkabayev will be making his Olympic debut in Tokyo and will compete in the men’s super heavyweight category.
Rypakova, who won the Olympic gold medal in the women’s triple jump in 2012, thanked President Tokayev for his support.
“As an athlete and mother of two, I am very grateful to you for your attention to the development of mass sports in the country, especially children’s sports,” the 36-year-old Rypakova, making her fourth successive Olympic appearance, said.
Kazakhstan will field a team of 95 athletes in 27 sports at the Tokyo Games.
