Tokyo Olympic Karate Medal Returned to Ukrainian

Tokyo, April 5 (Jiji Press)–Stanislav Horuna, a Ukrainian winner of a Tokyo Olympic medal in karate, on Sunday received back his medal, auctioned off in 2022 and now returned to him by the successful bidder. In the Tokyo Games held in 2021, Horuna won bronze in the men’s kumite 75-kilogram class. He later put the medal up for auction to raise money to support his war-torn country. The Japanese bidder offered to return the medal to Horuna free of charge. The 37-year-old Ukrainian received it at a karate dojo training hall in Tokyo. With the medal around his neck, Horuna expressed his gratitude, saying with a smile that he will never forget this moment. Horuna says he supports Ukrainian citizens as a member of his country’s military, a job he started after Russia began the full-scale invasion in February 2022. After retiring from competitions in 2024, he coaches karate athletes in and outside his country. On Sunday, he interacted with elementary and junior high school students practicing karate in Japan. In the auction, the medal sold for 20,500 dollars. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]