Kyrgyzstan pins great hopes on its sportsmen in Rio

Kyrgyzstan hailed its weightlifter Izzat Artykov's bronze medal at the Rio Olympics on Wednesday, which was country's first medal of the games, and the fourth Olympic medal in history.

Artykov finished third in the men's 69kg category. China's Shi Zhiyong took the gold medal and Turkey's Daniyar Ismayilov won the silver.

It was the first time for a Kyrgyz weightlifter to get a medal at Olympics since Moscow 1980, when Kanybek Osmonaliev won the men's 52kg gold medal.

After the Kyrgyz nation started congratulating Izzat Artykov on social networks, he thanked people for their support in his video address released by the State Committee for Physical Culture and Sports of Kyrgyzstan.

In his video message from Rio, Artykov noted that his victory is dedicated to the people of Kyrgyzstan.

"This is the first medal of Kyrgyzstan at the Olympics in 2016. Thanks my coaches, thank you the people of Kyrgyzstan, who supported me," he said.

The Kyrgyz people are very proud of this victory, though it is a bronze medal.

Aiperi Bekmyrzaeva, a resident of Bishkek city said that when she heard the news, she was almost crying, because it's a big achievement for Kyrgyz sports.

President of the country Almazbek Atambayev also congratulated the Kyrgyz sportsmen by phone.

Atambayev expressed his confidence that Izzat Artykov's success is a good start, which will inspire other Kyrgyz athletes.

Meanwhile, member of the Kyrgyz delegation in Rio, doctor Omurkul Satkeyev said that the health conditions of all Kyrgyz sportsmen are good, but it is difficult to get a gold.

Kyrgyzstan sent 19 athletes to the Rio Olympics. Endit