Rohullah Nikpai; Afghanistan to Witness a New Warrior
A sports center present at the heart of Kabul emits sounds of fights and roars day in and day out, but these are not the sounds of wars which have left Afghanistan torn and devastated. The new warriors from Kabul are the Taekwondo fighters. In the centuries old art of punching and kicking, one of the newest stars is 23-years old Kabul dweller Rohullah Nikpai. He is the first athlete ever to win an Olympics medal for Afghanistan.
“Each time I kick, I make sure I do it as well as I can, I am happiest when my training goes well and I achieve something good for my country” said the young Nikpai while talking to a reporter. Built with concrete blocks, the sports center at Kabul echoes with each sharp slap of bare feet hitting the plastics pads. Some two dozen young athletes in track suits practice kicking and punching drills with Nikpai.
The practice session at the sports center might represent an ordinary day at a gym in any other country; but in Afghanistan it is a reminder of what even a little amount of peace can bring. This is perhaps the only place in whole country where young men can focus their energies and even can dream of a bright future. When Nikpai won the bronze medal in 2008 at Beijing Olympics, it was a golden moment, not only for him, but for Afghanistan.
“When our plane touched down in Kabul it was an amazing moment to see so many of my countrymen and women at the airport,” Nikpai recalls with an amazing look, still vividly remembering the moment when he became the national hero. It was perhaps one of the happiest moments for the country as Afghans had poured into the stadium to celebrate Nikpai’s victory.
Commenting upon Nikpai’s success, Mirwais Bahawi, the member of Afghanistan Taekwondo Federation who had the privilege of providing live commentary of the event from Beijing to Afghan Television, said that it was unbelievable. People had been watching the fight in more than seventeen provinces in Afghanistan; everyone was praying and wishing to see Rohullah winning, and when he made it, happiness blossomed throughout the country.
When Nikpai was requested to share his views, he said that he liked all of his medals, but now he was determined to win the gold in the London Olympics.
Emerging as a super star in Taekwondo had been least expected from Nikpai who had ended his refugee life in Iran a few years ago and a greater part of whose extended family was still there outside the country. Although it has been two years since Nikpai had won the medal, he is still greeted with admiring looks and warm embraces wherever he goes.
Revealing his social activities he was of the view that he liked meeting friends and fans, but it was quite hard for him to take time out when he was to meet deadlines. Considering he is now an established athlete, Nikpai is still determined to stay in the country completely ignoring the suggestions that he could benefit from better facilities present abroad. He was of the view that Afghan athletes did not need to go abroad.
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