[Abbas Alizada] Unfortunately, there was a terrorist attack here last week.
[Abbas Alizada] The situation in Afghanistan makes you think about death all the time.
[Abbas Alizada] Because Afghanistan is not a good place,
is not a good country
and I always feel that I’m dying in Afghanistan,
because it’s not safe place and I’m not safe here.
[Abbas Alizada] Afghanistan is a very unsafe place for a famous person.
But I'm not afraid of death.
God willing, I'll live to be 50 or 70. 00:02:01:03 00:02:04:15 [Abbas Alizada] My name is Abbas Alizada, but in the street
I'm known as 'Afghani Bruce Lee'.
Whenever someone calls me Bruce Lee, I'm overjoyed.
DRAGON OF AFGHANISTAN
[Brother of Abbas] What's that sound? [Mother of Abbas] Abbas has woken up and started training.
[Abbas Alizada] In the name of Allah most gracious, most merciful, my name is Abbas Alizada.
But I go by the nickname 'Afghani Bruce Lee'.
[Abbas Alizada] I was born in Kabul.
Here, in Afghanistan's capital, I played all sorts of sports from a young age.
In so doing, I wanted to become a world famous sportsman.
[Abbas Alizada] Peace be with you. [man1] And you.
[Abbas Alizada] Hello!
[Abbas Alizada] Throw in another 2 3 aubergines. [man1] Ok.
[Ahmad Zia, Abbas’s brother] Abbas was born in the war.
There were no jobs, nothing to do.
I was at school, my father ran a shop.
[Abbas Alizada] How much is it? [man1] 20.
[Abbas Alizada] God bless you. [man1] Thank you!
[Laila, Abbas’s mother] People falsely believe they shouldn't have more than 4 kids.
The difficulties of raising many children are a blessing from God.
It was a long time ago, when we were young.
People didn't understand us, but we raised all 9 kids with God's help.
Abbas is my youngest child.
[Abbas Alizada] Hello!
[Laila, Abbas’s mother] When his dad was alive, God rest his soul,
it was suggested Abbas be accompanied everywhere
by armed guards in police uniforms.
But his father wouldn't allow it,
believing it'd put him in more danger.
'Come what may, God will decide,' he said.
[Ahmad Zia, Abbas’s brother] The reason was that Abbas became famous
even before he was successful.
His friends on Facebook, schoolmates,
even people in the street and relatives said he looked like Bruce Lee.
After social media users started to gather at our gates,
he decided that he'd take another year
to make himself even more like Bruce Lee.
He wanted to have his hair, gait, looks,
choice of sport and way of life.
[Abbas Alizada] How are you? Good morning!
How are you doing?
I'm drinking my morning tea and filming a movie.
Yes, I'm in the process of making a movie.
[Ahmad Zia, Abbas’s brother] Abbas said to his father...
'Please don't be mad, but I don't care for school.
Not because I have nothing to learn,
but because I'd rather play sports.
I promise I'll be known around the world one day.'
[Laila, Abbas’s mother] 'Go for it, son, continue on your path.'
That was his father's blessing.
His success is thanks to the blessings of God and his father.
[Ahmad Zia, Abbas’s brother] He downloaded lots of Bruce Lee movies, and repeated his every move
until he mastered nunchucks.
ENG [Abbas Alizada] When I played DVDs and I watched Bruce Lee’s movies
and I did, I did slow motion,
everything of Bruce Lee’s movies, because Bruce Lee was very fast.
I couldn’t copy his moves right now.
And after I did slow motion by DVD
and then I learn from Bruce Lee some nunchaku movements and techniques.
[Abbas Alizada] I had some really funny accidents with nunchucks.
I hit myself on the head several times while practising and watching movies.
Once, I hit my head so hard,
that I was knocked unconscious for about 5 minutes.
[Ahmad Taqsir Ahmadi, mullah] Abbas Ali presents himself as Bruce Lee.
He imitates an infidel’s deeds,
his on screen acts aren't endorsed by Islam.
They are unacceptable from Islam's standpoint.
Islam denounces acts against the religion committed by Muslims,
and condemns anyone who emulates the acts of infidels.
[Ahmad Zia, Abbas’s brother] We must always be with him because rumours are spread.
The only issue in Afghanistan is security.
It's an issue my brother, my family and myself constantly deal with.
[Laila, Abbas’s mother] It's too dangerous for him to go around town on his own.
My other sons are also in danger.
They can't walk the streets safely.
When he's alone, I call and check on him.
A lot of people watch him. I'm worried that everybody knows this is 'Bruce Lee's house'.
[Ahmad Zia, Abbas’s brother] When we leave the gym and travel here or abroad I accompany him everywhere.
People question me more than Abbas about his whereabouts.
They send messages on Facebook
asking how much money we earned,
where we got it, demanding it from us in a friendly way.
Or they start threatening us.
[Laila, Abbas’s mother] When you go outside, you don't know if you'll come back alive.
Only God knows how unsafe it is.
[Ahmad Zia, Abbas’s brother] We set up a gym here for Abbas, for security reasons.
Abbas has sport in his blood, it flows through his veins.
He's reached such a level thanks to his training.
[Abbas Alizada] Oh, my God!
[Abbas Alizada] As I looked so similar to Bruce Lee,
I had to have the same hairstyle.
My friends and family kept saying
that I looked a lot like him.
That's why I decided to have my hair cut like him.
That's how I chose my way in life.
[hairdresser] I'll cut the lower layer and leave the top. [Abbas Alizada] Great. 00:11:28:1 00:11:33:05 [Abbas Alizada] I go to the hairdresser twice a month to get my hair done.
I buy new clothes whenever I need to emulate his image.
[Abbas Alizada] When I'm in the streets in Afghanistan,
many people, especially younger ones, show their appreciation.
They take pictures with me and express their approval.
It is great joy and honour for me to see that
young people in Afghanistan care about me so much.
[Abbas Alizada] Have you a white t shirt like this in my size? [vendor] No!
[Abbas Alizada] What colours do you have? [vendor] Only black.
[vendor] I have a white vest in your size.
[vendor] There you are. [Abbas Alizada] Thank you, see you.
[Abbas Alizada] Bruce Lee used to cut his hair himself.
He paid lots of attention to his image. 00:12:55:07 00:13:02:15 He was an outstanding person.
[Abbas Alizada] Isn't this side different to this one?
[hairdresser] No, it's the same.
[Abbas Alizada] Thank you. [hairdresser] Thanks, see you in two weeks.
[Abbas Alizada] The Afghani media has always supported me,
I'm sure they will continue to do so,
because they made me world famous.
[man2] Our special guest is Abbas Alizada, the 'Afghani Bruce Lee'.
Thank you for being here.
[Abbas Alizada] I'm here to see the competition
and support, inspire and encourage
our young athletes.
[Athlete] My name is Vahidullah Noori.
I'm an athlete from Sari Pul Province.
I've trained in this sport for 2 years, this is my first competition.
I've worked hard, so let's see how I do. Allah is merciful.
[Abbas Alizada] Another reason I went to the TV studio was
because I wanted to award medals to the athletes who competed.
I hope that after receiving medals from me on air,
they will be even more inspired and motivated to succeed.
[Abbas Alizada] Sport is my only goal. 00:15:56:04 00:15:58:15 Sport means the world to me.
It's become my reason to live.
It has shown me the way to perfection,
which I've pursued with considerable success.
[Ismail Bayat, fitness coach] Abbas trained with us for three years 00:16:17:02 00:16:20:05 before he became successful.
I've known him since he started here. 00:16:30:0 00:16:34:08 [Ismail Bayat, fitness coach] While he practised martial arts, I got him into shape. 00:16:44:24 00:16:49:06 [Ismail Bayat, fitness coach] Personally, I believe no one can take Bruce Lee's place. 00:16:49:09 00:16:52:08 He was the great teacher. 00:16:54:22 00:16:58:04 Someone appeared who looked like Bruce Lee,
who can succeed in keeping his memory alive. 00:17:01:20 00:17:06:09 It'll allow Lee to re emerge in films and sport.
It's great for promoting sports.
[Ismail Bayat, fitness coach] These days, the whole world knows Abbas, he's famous,
but back then no one knew him. 00:17:26:10 00:17:29:19 After certain events he reached a new level.
He became motivated because one of his family members,
his father, I believe, protected and supported him. 00:17:37:23 00:17:41:04 His father's death acted as an impetus.
[Abbas Alizada] My father was my hero.
He meant everything to me.
[Laila, Abbas’s mother] Abbas loved his father very much, and he loved him back.
Since his father died, may he rest in peace, 00:18:08:03 00:18:11:16 he hasn't fully recovered or found peace.
[Ahmad Zia, Abbas’s brother] When Abbas became famous, the only one, other than Allah,
who was always by his side and helped him succeed at sport,
was a friend called Ali Hussain.
[Asadulla, Ali Hussain’s brother] My brother was a true and devoted friend.
[Abbas Alizada] He was the first person to notice my likeness to Bruce Lee. 00:19:07:09 00:19:10:09 [Abbas Alizada] In October 2016 I was travelling abroad. 00:19:10:18 00:19:13:01 I was in Istanbul, Turkey. 00:19:15:13 00:19:19:22 Suddenly I got a phone call, it was Ali Hussain's brother.
I was told that my best friend, Ali Hussain had died.
I was very upset and started saying crazy things to him.
I said he was lying, that it couldn't be true,
that it was unbelievable.
[Ahmad Zia, Abbas’s brother] He was harassed in Afghanistan.
After he left for Iran he called me in Afghanistan,
and said that he was still in danger there.
[Abbas Alizada] It was such sad news that it broke my heart.
[Ahmad Zia, Abbas’s brother] Why did it happen?
Because he and Abbas were inseparable.
[Ahmad Zia, Abbas’s brother] Abbas and I collected his body from the airport.
[Abbas Alizada] His body was prepared for the funeral.
I couldn't believe he'd died, I felt as though he was asleep.
[Ahmad Zia, Abbas’s brother] He was a hero, a champion.
He had a medal in wushu (kung fu).
[Asadulla, Ali Hussain’s brother] His cause of death has still not been established.
[Abbas Alizada] These people were so important to me.
I loved them so much.
After they died, I wanted their graves to be close to one another,
so that every time I visited, I'd visit them both.
The graves of Ali Hussain and my dear father are only 10 metres apart.
[Abbas Alizada] I visit Ali Hussain's grave every week.
I say, 'If only you were alive...'
‘…if only we could see each other again, and tell each other stories.’
'We could say whatever was left unsaid, we could share our sorrows.'
He was my only friend who knew all my problems.
[Abbas Alizada] After Ali Hussain's death,
I decided to fulfil his dream,
which is to become world champion one day.
[Asadulla, Ali Hussain’s brother] Having paid our tribute to him,
we want to keep on winning and become champions.
I've been practising wushu for three years,
and Abbas Alizada aka 'Bruce Lee' is one of my coaches.
[Abbas Alizada] I always encourage his younger brother,
saying that he must turn his dream into reality.
[Abbas Alizada] Whenever I see Asadulla, he reminds me of Ali Hussain.
AFGHANI NATIONAL OLYMPIC COMMITTEE
[Muhammad Zahir Akbar, Head of Afghani National Olympic Committee] Let me greet everyone on behalf of the sports community,
and express my pride and joy that, amid fire and ashes,
this country has raised such an amazing son.
Merciless creatures, cruel murderers who have no respect for the living
continue to claim our noble compatriots, children, mothers and sisters.
But there are young offspring of this land who, although abroad,
have been able to assert themselves and their country.
[Ismail Bayat, fitness coach] He wants to reach the top of the mountain,
get to the top, and perhaps become even more successful than Bruce Lee.
Abbas has it in him because he's human, just as Bruce Lee was.
[Muhammad Zahir Akbar, Head of Afghani National Olympic Committee] Today, on the International Day of Sport,
we'd like to award Mr Abbas an honorary medal
on behalf of the sport community.
[Abbas Alizada] Thank you.
[Muhammad Zahir Akbar, Head of Afghani National Olympic Committee] The sports community and the people of Afghanistan
are proud of people like him and try to look after them.
I believe Mr Abbas has been to hell and back,
because he didn't go abroad to become famous.
What I mean is, he mastered his sport amid the explosions of war,
and, as a result, became known as the “Afghani Bruce Lee”.
[Ahmad Zia, Abbas’s brother] Before becoming a celebrity he dreamt of
raising Afghanistan's reputation in the world.
He wanted to prove that there is more to this country than war,
that it can use sport to produce excellent people.
[Asadulla, Ali Hussain’s brother] Abbas Alizada, like the legend Bruce Lee, can reach great heights.
He just has to keep on training.
It doesn't matter what his religion is, whether he's a Muslim or not.
ENG [Abbas Alizada] I want to find my place in future.
I want to be Abbas, not Bruce Lee. As I mentioned it to you before,
no one can be like Bruce Lee,
as no one can be like Abbas Alizada.