Disabled athlete to represent Afghanistan in Paralympic Games

Afghan paralympic athlete changes sports from athletics to swimming to compete for his country at the London Paralympics.Afghan disabled athlete Malik Mohammad is training to represent Afghanistan in the London 2012 Paralympic Games. Mohammad has taken part in running and other athletics events in the past but will now compete in swimming events in London.The athlete runs on prosthetic blade limbs which were fitted after he lost both legs in land mine explosions in Kabul in 2005.He recalled that he was walking near the airport when he walked into a minefield laid many years before during the Russian invasion.The mines were from Russia war 30 years before, he said. I just stop and blow off me to the air, when I came back another was explosion, so it was two bombs and I lost both of my legs.While recovering in hospital, Mohammad met a U.S. visitor who offered to pay for him to have prosthetic legs fitted in the United States. Mohammad stayed in the United States for two years, and when he returned after treatment he resolved to take part in as many sports as he could.He said that other athletes and the president of the Afghan National Olympic committee Zahir Agbhar, encouraged him.Mohammad also had advice for other disabled people in Afghanistan.