Jordan's shy gold medal 'dream catcher'

The shy university student is in the middle of his umpteenth interview when he breaks off to take a call on his overheating mobile.

"Sorry," he apologises, when the conversation's over, "that was Prince Hassan," King Abdullah of Jordan's uncle.

No ordinary caller on no ordinary day.

Ahmad Abughaush has turned overnight into a Jordanian national hero after he won the Arab kingdom's first ever Olympic Games medal on Thursday.

He's received more calls from royalty in the few hours since his win than the switchboard operator at Buckingham Palace gets in a month.

"King Abdullah rang this morning. He told me 'you've put the face of Jordan on the map. all Jordanians are very happy about result - god helped you to get it."

As well as blue-blooded callers the 20-year-old has received hundreds of text messages, and a deluge of new friends requests on Facebook.

"No one back home slept last night, they were all watching Ahmad," said Hazem Neimat, deputy mayor of Amman and part of Jordan's taekwondo delegation in Rio.

"There will be an official reception waiting for him when he lands at the airport.

"The head of government will be there, and Prince Faisal Jordan's Olympic chief, and Prince Rashid, head of the country's taekwondo federation.

"Ahmad's won Jordan's first medal, and he's the first Arab to win a taekwondo medal.

"All the media will be there, he'll get a hero's welcome."

For media-rookie Ahmad, winning the men's under-68kg division gold was the easy bit.

"After his tenth interview today he told me this is harder than winning last night's final!" said David Williams representing Jordan's Olympic Committee.

Abughaush, who will resume his sports Science degree at the University of Jordan once his life has calmed down, first became interested in the ancient Korean combat sport as a child.

"I was six, and got into it through my brother," he said in arabic with Neimat serving as translator.

"I love taekwondo because of its spirit, and discipline.

"My family are very disciplined, it's like family. My coach is like my godfather.

"And I like the fighting, I've got the mentality for it, I'm never scared."

Neimat chips in with an anecdote.

"We were at a championships three years ago. He told me then he wanted to win Olympic gold.

"I told him I believe you are the person for the Olympics because you think like an Olympic champion. From that day he had gold as his target."

Ahmad's life is in the process of changing beyond all recognition.

"I've caught a dream, and I can't believe it," he smiles.

Yet when asked what he was looking forward to most on his return to Jordan he replied in a flash: "Go to my mum and dad, I haven't seen them for two months."

That's going to be one Olympic-size homecoming.