MOSCOW, January 8. /TASS/. President Vladimir Putin has issued a decree granting Russian citizenship to the retired Italian athlete Ezio Gamba, a judoka who won gold at the 1980 Summer Olympic Games in Moscow and silver at the 1984 Games in Los Angeles.

Gamba is also known as the winner of silver medals in the world Championships in 1979 and 1983 and the gold medal in the European championship of 1982.

He was born on December 2, 1958.

At present, Enzio Gamba is the coach of the Russian national judo team.

The Kremlin press service said in a report Putin granted citizenship to the man pursuant to the provisions of Article 89 of Russia's Constitution.