Rohullah Nikpai
Encyclopedia
Rohullah Nikpai is an Afghani
taekwondo
practitioner.
, Afghanistan
, at the age of 10. During the bloody conflict over the capital city, his family left the city and settled in one of Iran's many Afghan refugee camps. He soon became a member of the Afghan refugee Taekwondo team. He returned to Kabul in 2004 and continued his training at the government provided Olympic training facility. At the 2006 Asian Games
in Doha
, Qatar
Nikpai competed in the flyweight
division where he was defeated by eventual silver medal
ist Nattapong Tewawetchapong of Thailand
in round 16.
Nikpai competed in the 58 kg category
at the 2008 Summer Olympics
, defeating two-time world champion Juan Antonio Ramos
of Spain
to win the bronze medal
, making him Afghanistan's first Olympic medalist in any event. Afghanistan president Hamid Karzai
immediately called to congratulate Nikpai. He also awarded him a house at the government’s expense. "I hope this will send a message of peace to my country after 30 years of war," Nikpai said.
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
taekwondo
Taekwondo
Taekwondo is a Korean martial art and the national sport of South Korea. In Korean, tae means "to strike or break with foot"; kwon means "to strike or break with fist"; and do means "way", "method", or "path"...
practitioner.
Career
Of Hazara origin, Nikpai started his training in KabulKabul
Kabul , spelt Caubul in some classic literatures, is the capital and largest city of Afghanistan. It is also the capital of the Kabul Province, located in the eastern section of Afghanistan...
, Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
, at the age of 10. During the bloody conflict over the capital city, his family left the city and settled in one of Iran's many Afghan refugee camps. He soon became a member of the Afghan refugee Taekwondo team. He returned to Kabul in 2004 and continued his training at the government provided Olympic training facility. At the 2006 Asian Games
2006 Asian Games
The 15th Asian Games, officially known as the XV Asiad, is Asia's Olympic-style sporting event that was held in Doha, Qatar from December 1 to December 15, 2006. Doha was the first city in its region and only the second in West Asia to host the games...
in Doha
Doha
Doha is the capital city of the state of Qatar. Located on the Persian Gulf, it had a population of 998,651 in 2008, and is also one of the municipalities of Qatar...
, Qatar
Qatar
Qatar , also known as the State of Qatar or locally Dawlat Qaṭar, is a sovereign Arab state, located in the Middle East, occupying the small Qatar Peninsula on the northeasterly coast of the much larger Arabian Peninsula. Its sole land border is with Saudi Arabia to the south, with the rest of its...
Nikpai competed in the flyweight
Flyweight
Flyweight is a class in boxing which includes fighters weighing less than 112 lb but above 108 lb .-Professional boxing:...
division where he was defeated by eventual silver medal
Silver medal
A silver medal is a medal awarded to the second place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, and contests with similar formats....
ist Nattapong Tewawetchapong of Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
in round 16.
Nikpai competed in the 58 kg category
Taekwondo at the 2008 Summer Olympics - Men's 58 kg
-Repechage:...
at the 2008 Summer Olympics
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
, defeating two-time world champion Juan Antonio Ramos
Juan Antonio Ramos
Juan Antonio Ramos Sánchez is a Spanish taekwondo practitioner.He is a two-time world champion, winning the finweight title in 1997 and the flyweight title in 2007. He also competed for Spain at the 2004 and 2008 Olympic Games, finishing fourth and equal fifth respectively.-References:...
of Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
to win the bronze medal
Bronze medal
A bronze medal is a medal awarded to the third place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, etc. The practice of awarding bronze third place medals began at the 1904 Olympic Games in St...
, making him Afghanistan's first Olympic medalist in any event. Afghanistan president Hamid Karzai
Hamid Karzai
Hamid Karzai, GCMG is the 12th and current President of Afghanistan, taking office on 7 December 2004. He became a dominant political figure after the removal of the Taliban regime in late 2001...
immediately called to congratulate Nikpai. He also awarded him a house at the government’s expense. "I hope this will send a message of peace to my country after 30 years of war," Nikpai said.