Afghanistan's first Olympic medal...ever

Rohullah Nikpai defeated world champion Juan Antonio Ramos of Spain on Wednesday to earn the bronze medal in the men’s under 58-kilogram taekwondo competition, sparking applause, wide smiles and laughter in homes, restaurants and ice cream parlors around the country.

“When I saw that he won, I jumped up and hugged and kissed my son,” Gayezabi said. “I was crying.”

President Hamid Karzai immediately called to congratulate Nikpai. He also awarded him a house at the government’s expense, said Humayun Hamidzada, the president’s spokesman.

And read this part:

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.

I'd sure love to see NBC do one of their human interest profiles on that guy.