By Jamil Danish

Photo by Fardin Waezi

21 October 2009 – Afghanistan taekwondo athlete Mahmood Haidary won on Sunday the silver medal at the World Taekwondo Championships in Copenhagen, Denmark.

This October 2009 Wold Taekwondo event was the largest world championship ever for the World Taekwondo Federation (WTF). Afghanistan also won the bronze medal in the championships which saw 929 athletes from 142 countries participating.

“My silver medal is for my people and my country – it was a pride that I kept the Afghan flag raised all through the end of the game,” said the silver medalist, Mahmood Haidary who is preparing to secure a gold medal at 2012 world championship in London.

“I love Taekwondo! I will join the club as soon as I am four,” said a three year old Afghan boy, who was accompanying his father to greet Mahmood Haidary at the airport today.

A few months ago at the Korean Taekwondo Championship, Mahmood Haidary also won a gold medal, beating America, China, Jordan, Korea and the Philippines.

“I am very proud of our sons; Mahmood Haidary showed the world that Afghans have talents if they are given the chance,” said, Ms. Aziza a high school teacher in Kabul.

At the fist Asian Martial Arts Games in Bangkok in August this year, Afghanistan secured five medals, including one gold medal by Nisar Ahmad Bahawi. One of the bronze medals was won by a young girl, twenty year old Shafiqa Kargar.

At the 2008 Beijing Games, Rohullah Nikpai, 21, earned Afghanistan’s first-ever medal in taekwondo in the country’s 72-year Olympic history.

In 2007 Nisar Ahmad Bahawi,a gold medal winner, became the world’s number two champion in Taekwondo competing at the World Champion Beijing 2007 competition where he beat rivals from Russia, America, Kuwait, China, Lebanon and Iran.

Taekwondo is one of Afghanistan’s most popular sports with more than 35,000 competitors across the country.

Tags | Afghanisan, Jamil Danish, Mahmood Haidary, Taekwodo