Posted on 08/20/2008 12:24:36 PM PDT by DCBryan1
BEIJING, China (AP) -- Afghanistan won their first Olympic medal Wednesday, when Rohullah Nikpai defeated world champion Juan Antonio Ramos of Spain to take the bronze in the men's under 58-kilogram taekwondo competition.
Flashy kicker Nikpai, who has been practicing the Korean martial art since he was 10, defeated Ramos 4-1 in their bronze medal playoff, outscoring his limping opponent.
Nikpai was placed second in the World Taekwondo Federation's world qualifying event in Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam last year.
The Games medal brings him a $50,000 prize from a mobile phone company in Afghanistan.
Mexico's Guillermo Perez won the gold in a decision over Dominica's Yulis Gabriel Mercedes.
China's world champion Wu Jingyu won the women's under 49-kilogram class on the first day of the taekwondo competition with victory over Thailand's Buttree Puedpong having beaten Taiwan's Yang Shu-chun, the 2007 world bronze medalist, in the semifinals.
(Excerpt) Read more at cnn.com ...
If I had the gif of the clapping crowd I'd post it.
I’m happy for them.
‘Them’ meaning not the terrorists and Muzzie fanatics mind you.
Ain’t liberty grand?
:-)
thanks! .... <\post before thinking off>
DITTO
:^D
I agree. This is a great morale-booster for the Afgan people.
Love the picture. Where did you find it?
I think it’s a terrific boost for our entire Middle East strategy.
Rohullah Nikpai will be a national hero to all freedom-loving Afghans.
Congratulations to the free and sovereign nation of Afghanistan!
OH Sandrat
WOO HOO!
Nikpai, who is 21, started learning the Korean martial art when he was 10 because his brother had found a club in Kabul to train. Not only was it an escape from the daily rigors of life in a country that not been at peace since the 1970s, he turned out to be good at it.
Exceptionally good.
When Gayezabi met Nikpai, they were both living at a refugee camp in Iran during the years of war that embroiled Afghanistan in the 1980s and 1990s. The two competed together on a refugee taekwondo team.
Nikpai came to Kabul four years ago, Gayezabi said. In the mornings he lifted weights and in the evenings he practiced martial arts. In between he earned money cutting hair as a barber.
With success came better training conditions. After being selected for the national team six months ago, he was able to use a special gymnasium.
But in a country where sports take a distant place behind the realities of war, few resources are dedicated to training athletes.
"My training situation is a lot like the situation in my country," Nikpai said. "It's not good."
Gayezabi had a lucky few hours of electricity that allowed him to watch his former teammate's victory. He feared he would only be able to listen on the radio since Kabul averages about four hours of municipal electricity a day.
That’s good for her. I’ve been practicing for nearly 5 years. I’m a featherweight in TKD (I compete at around 149 LBS). It’s not an art for somebody who’s tiny, let me tell you that.
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