Kazakhstan Celebrates as Paralympic Champion Yerbol Khamitov Returns Home

Dozens of fans, some carrying balloons and bouquets, gathered at Astana’s international airport on Tuesday to welcome Paralympic champion Yerbol Khamitov after he won two medals for Kazakhstan at the Winter Games in Italy. The 28-year-old athlete, who lost part of his leg after being shot in the knee a decade ago, greeted supporters and thanked his coaches and state authorities for their support, which he said contributed to his international success. Khamitov won the biathlon pursuit race on March 13 and finished third in the cross-country skiing sprint on March 10, becoming the first Kazakhstani athlete to win two medals at a Winter Paralympics.  “I am glad that I was able to fulfill my promise to raise our national flag on the podium,” he said on social media.  “I am not stopping here. I have many plans and new goals ahead. I will make every effort to reach new heights.” Khamitov said he was told in the past that ‘“cross-country skiing is not a Kazakh sport”’ but he wanted to prove to himself and others that “anything is possible.”  Khamitov, who competed in martial arts before and after his injury, made his Paralympic debut in Beijing in 2022. Last year, he won his first para biathlon world title at the championships in Pokljuka, Slovakia. The International Paralympic Committee had said he was “among the athletes to watch out for” at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Games. The events ended on March 15.  In Kazakhstan, the paralympian will receive the equivalent of hundreds of thousands of dollars and other benefits for his achievements. Khamitov, who said he comes from a modest background and has experienced hardship, encouraged anyone with physical difficulties to get involved in sports.   "I would like to encourage everyone who is currently in this situation, whether they've lost an arm or a leg, are visually impaired, or were born that way, to come and play sports with us," Khamitov told journalists after returning to Astana. His success at the Winter Games has been widely seen as an inspiration for athletes with disabilities in Kazakhstan.