Kevin Cordon received a rousing welcome in Guatemala after getting spectacular results at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. He was paraded for 7 km after arriving back in his home country.
Cordon’s performance was the best of any Guatemalan at the Tokyo Olympics. The next best result was that of Luis Carlos who came 7th in swimming (100 m butterfly).
To immortalize Cordon’s monumental achievement, the Guatemalan Ministry of Culture and Sports will be naming a park after his name.
“We are proud to name a park after Kevin Cordon as part of our tribute to the athlete. We appreciate his performance at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics,” said the Guatemalan Ministry of Culture and Sports, as reported by Bolasport.
Trophy deemed inappropriate
The government, however, came under huge criticism from the public because of the mediocre trophy it presented to Kevin Cordon.
Many citizens criticised that the government was not serious in appreciating the efforts of someone who had dedicated 20 years of his life to bring glory to Guatemala with the small trophy.
Momota and Ginting as examples
Muamar Qadafi, Cordon’s coach from Indonesia, revealed that he uses Kento Momota and Anthony Sinisuka Ginting as examples while coaching Cordon.
“If we focus on the rallying game, then we focus on Kento Momota. For transitioning into the attack, Anthony Ginting,” Qadafi told Kompas.
Future plans
Qadafi also revealed that Cordon plans to retire after the 2021 Olympics or the 2021 World Championships.
“He already feels old at his age. I don’t know his future plans, but for now, his plans are like that,” said his coach.