Sports
Today I give you more Stories from the Bottom of the Medal Standings List, the Middle East edition:
1. Rohullah NIKPAI (Afghanistan)
Today I give you more Stories from the Bottom of the Medal Standings List, the Middle East edition:
1. Rohullah NIKPAI (Afghanistan)
With little in the way of training facilities - let alone stability - in his home country, Nikpai surprised the Taekwondo world by snatching a bronze in the 58-kg weight division. He lost in the quarterfinals to eventual champion Guillermo Perez of Mexico, but defeated last year's world champion Juan Antonio Ramos of Spain 4 points to 1 in the repechage to take a spot on the medal stand. His medal is the first in Afghanistan's Olympic history. And he is now undoubtedly a national hero.
2. Rashid RAMZI (Bahrain)
Moroccan-born Rashid Ramzi gave Bahrain its first ever Olympic medal, and it was gold. Ramzi just edged out Kenya's Asbel Kipruto Kiprop in the 1500m run with a last-minute burst of speed and a time of 3:32.94. He garnered his Bahrani citizenship in 2002 after a short stint in the Bahrain Defense Force, which caused a bit of a stir in the country of his birth. But he has not renounced his attachment to Morocco: "I am a Moroccan, I was born a Moroccan."
3. Shahar ZUBARI (Israel)
Zubari has found instant stardom at home in just the few days following his bronze-medal performance in the Men's Sailboard race (commonly known as Windsurfing) at the Qingdao Olympic Sailing Center. He received phone calls from both Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and President Shimon Peres, with Peres offering Zubari an open invitation to visit his home upon Shahar's return from China. "We in Israel almost mourned in a sea of desperation, and you took us out of there to a new dawn," commented a thrilled Peres, who attended the opening ceremonies, and hoped for more Israeli success in Beijing. This was Israel's first medal of this Olympics, and 7th overall. Israel has had previous success in the Sailboard competition, as well as in Judo and Canoeing.
2. Rashid RAMZI (Bahrain)
Moroccan-born Rashid Ramzi gave Bahrain its first ever Olympic medal, and it was gold. Ramzi just edged out Kenya's Asbel Kipruto Kiprop in the 1500m run with a last-minute burst of speed and a time of 3:32.94. He garnered his Bahrani citizenship in 2002 after a short stint in the Bahrain Defense Force, which caused a bit of a stir in the country of his birth. But he has not renounced his attachment to Morocco: "I am a Moroccan, I was born a Moroccan."
3. Shahar ZUBARI (Israel)
Zubari has found instant stardom at home in just the few days following his bronze-medal performance in the Men's Sailboard race (commonly known as Windsurfing) at the Qingdao Olympic Sailing Center. He received phone calls from both Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and President Shimon Peres, with Peres offering Zubari an open invitation to visit his home upon Shahar's return from China. "We in Israel almost mourned in a sea of desperation, and you took us out of there to a new dawn," commented a thrilled Peres, who attended the opening ceremonies, and hoped for more Israeli success in Beijing. This was Israel's first medal of this Olympics, and 7th overall. Israel has had previous success in the Sailboard competition, as well as in Judo and Canoeing.
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