On May 23, the Kurdish boxer Badin Haso won the International WBC championship in Oberhausen, Germany, earning a congratulations message from President Masoud Barzani.

“I congratulate the Kurdish champion Badin Haso for achieving victory at the INTERNATIONAL WBC championship in Germany and winning his third belt,” President Masoud Barzani posted on X.

“I sincerely commend him and wish him greater success. It is truly a source of pride and happiness that Kurdish youth continue to achieve major victories in international sports arenas and introduce the name of Kurd and Kurdistan to the world.”

Haso was born in August 25, 1994, in the Yezidi town of Shariya in the Duhok Governorate in Iraqi Kurdistan. He is also known as the “The Lion of Kurdistan”.

On December 17 last year, Haso was received by Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Prime Minister Masrour Barzani, who congratulated him on winning first place at the Asian Boxing Championship in Albania.

“We wished him success and expressed the support of the KRG for Kurdistan’s sports and athletes,” KRG Prime Minister Barzani said, according to the KRG readout.