Who is Rohullah Nikpai? Everything about Afghanistan's first Olympic medalist who picked up Taekwondo by watching Movies
Rohullah Nikpai, the taekwondo practitioner, made history for Afghanistan twice in the Olympics. He is a two-time bronze medal winner in the Olympics.
Born in Maidan Wardak Province, Afghanistan, Nikpai began training at an early age of 10. Afghanistan was in turmoil then, and during the civil war in 1990, Rohullah Nikpai and his family relocated to Iran.
Relocation can come with a lot of hardships for a child. However, Nikpai grew up watching movies that inspired him to join the Afghan Taekwondo Team. His real training began when he was motivated to represent his country in national sports.
Nikpai returned to Afghanistan in 2004 and began training for the 2006 Asian Games. He got an opportunity to compete in the flyweight division during the 2006 Asian Games. In the round of 16, Nikpai lost to the eventual silver medalist, Nattapong Tewawetchapong.
The loss was heavy for Nikpai, but it didn't affect his confidence in the future. His next aim was the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. He participated in the 58 kg category and defeated Spain's Juan Antonio Ramos to win his first Bronze medal in the Olympics. He also became the first Afghan to win any medal at the Olympics in any event.
The hero of Afghanistan was part of the 2012 Summer Olympics in the 68 kg category. Although he was defeated by Iran's Mohammad Bagheri Motamed, Nikpai beat Great Britain's Martin Stamper to bag another Olympic bronze medal.
Rohullah Nikpai is the head coach of New Zealand’s national taekwondo team
After becoming an inspiration for youngsters from Afghanistan, it is now time for Rohullah Nikpai to inspire New Zealand's taekwondo enthusiasts. New Zealand has made a bold decision by appointing Rohullah Nikpai as the coach of their taekwondo team.
Nikpai's appointment should bode well for New Zealand's taekwondo team. The Kiwis don't have any organization that represents taekwondo in the country so there is no New Zealand team in the Paris Olympics.
However, the appointment of Afghanistan's two-time bronze medal winner is a sign that the authorities are taking the sport seriously. It is a sign that we might see a taekwondo team from New Zealand in the Olympics soon.