Afghans win first Olympic medal

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Video - Nikpai beats GB's Harvey

Rohullah Nikpai won Afghanistan's first ever Olympic medal when he took bronze in the taekwondo men's 58kg category.

He beat world champion Juan Antonio Ramos of Spain 4-1 in a play-off.

Taekwondo is one of the most popular sports in conflict-hit Afghanistan, which boasts more than 700 clubs and 25,000 competitors.

The nation - which has sent a team of four to Beijing - counted its previous best Olympic finish as a fifth place in the wrestling in 1964.

Sarah Stevenson's guide to taekwondo

Nikpai's victory thousands of miles away has dominated news on several private television and radio stations in Afghanistan.

Afghanistan's President Hamid Karzai is reported to have spoken to Nikpai over the phone to congratulate him on his victory.

And the president of the Afghan Olympic committee, Mohammad Anawar Jegdalak, told the BBC the government would give the martial artist a house to mark the win.

He also said an organisation in Kabul plans to give Nikpai a gift of US$50,000.

Taekwondo is a Korean martial art, brought to Kabul by an American master in 1972.

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Taekwondo medals table

Sunday, 24 August 2008 10:17 UK

Rank	Country	Gold	Silver	Bronze	TOTAL
1	also show each event results forSouth Korea	4	0	0	4
Men's Over 80kg		1	0	0
Men's Under 68kg		1	0	0
Women's Under 57kg		1	0	0
Women's Under 67kg		1	0	0
2	also show each event results forMexico	2	0	0	2
Men's Under 58kg		1	0	0
Women's Over 67kg		1	0	0
3	also show each event results forChina	1	0	1	2
Men's Under 80kg		0	0	1
Women's Under 49kg		1	0	0
4	also show each event results forIran	1	0	0	1
Men's Under 80kg		1	0	0
5	also show each event results forUSA	0	1	2	3
Men's Under 68kg		0	1	0
Men's Under 80kg		0	0	1
Women's Under 57kg		0	0	1
6	also show each event results forTurkey	0	1	1	2
Men's Under 68kg		0	0	1
Women's Under 57kg		0	1	0
7	also show each event results forCanada	0	1	0	1
Women's Under 67kg		0	1	0
8	also show each event results forDominican Rep	0	1	0	1
Men's Under 58kg		0	1	0
9	also show each event results forGreece	0	1	0	1
Men's Over 80kg		0	1	0
10	also show each event results forItaly	0	1	0	1
Men's Under 80kg		0	1	0
11	also show each event results forNorway	0	1	0	1
Women's Over 67kg		0	1	0
12	also show each event results forThailand	0	1	0	1
Women's Under 49kg		0	1	0
13	also show each event results forChinese Taipei	0	0	2	2
Men's Under 58kg		0	0	1
Men's Under 68kg		0	0	1
14	also show each event results forCroatia	0	0	2	2
Women's Under 57kg		0	0	1
Women's Under 67kg		0	0	1
15	also show each event results forAfghanistan	0	0	1	1
Men's Under 58kg		0	0	1
16	also show each event results forBrazil	0	0	1	1
Women's Over 67kg		0	0	1
17	also show each event results forCuba	0	0	1	1
Women's Under 49kg		0	0	1
18	also show each event results forFrance	0	0	1	1
Women's Under 67kg		0	0	1
19	also show each event results forGreat Britain	0	0	1	1
Women's Over 67kg		0	0	1
20	also show each event results forKazakhstan	0	0	1	1
Men's Over 80kg		0	0	1
21	also show each event results forNigeria	0	0	1	1
Men's Over 80kg		0	0	1
22	also show each event results forVenezuela	0	0	1	1
Women's Under 49kg		0	0	1

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Afghans win first Olympic medal

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