Olympics: Afghan swimmer dreams of London Paralympics

Afghan teenager Malek Mohammad balances on his hands, readies his stumps, then dives perilously into the water.

The 18-year-old, whose legs were blown off by a Soviet landmine, dreams of swimming for Afghanistan in the London Paralympics.

"If I get a medal from the Olympics that will be good for my country, for my people. Disabled people will be proud of me, my family, everyone."

Malek is one of tens of thousands of Afghan amputees, victims of three decades of war -- 10 years of fighting against Soviet troops in the 1980s, civil war and the current Taliban insurgency -- that have made Afghanistan one of the most heavily mined countries in the world. 

SOURCE: http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp_sports/view/1201146/1/.html
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