Nur Sultan, Kazakhstan, July 14, 2021: Kazakhstan’s Olympic swimming champion Dmitry Balandin has his image splashed across a special Visa card issued by Halyk Bank, the official partner of the Olympic team of Kazakhstan.
The Visa card, which comes in a stylish Olympic design, depicts the 2016 Rio Olympics gold medallist in the men’s 200m breaststroke. The choice of Balandin is not accidental with the swimmer being part of the global Team Visa where one of the main selection criteria is a competitive spirit.
“We are proud of the status of being the official partner of the Olympic team of Kazakhstan. For us, it is a high confidence and honour to become a part of a global and significant event in professional sports,” Halyk Bank said in a statement run on the Kazakhstan National Olympic Committee website.
Special cards will be given to all members of the Kazakhstan Olympic delegation. A total of 96 athletes in 27 sports will represent Kazakhstan at the Tokyo Games.
“We are flying to Tokyo fully armed; everything has been taken care of for us,” said Balandin, who will be defending his 200m Olympic breaststroke crown. “It is very nice, for all the athletes. This is not just a bank card, but an expensive souvenir from their homeland, a symbol of belonging to the Olympic family and a sign of special attention.”
The Kazakhstan delegation will leave for Tokyo on Friday, July 16. The Opening Ceremony of the Games will be held on July 23.
