David de Pina's hairstyle may have caught the eye at Paris 2024, but his quick hands and footwork have also been sharp enough to provide Cape Verde with its first ever Olympic medal.

The 28-year-old boxer from Santiago, the largest of 10 islands which make up the archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean, made history by winning bronze in the men's flyweight category in the French capital.

He stands just five foot four inches tall, but is now getting used to his new, elevated status in his homeland.

"They say I'm the hero because I give them one thing they never had before," De Pina told BBC Sport Africa.

"I put the name of the country around the world. They might think we don't have the strength to win a medal, but we showed them that [anything] is possible.

"I'm so happy to achieve this first medal and to give it to my country. We deserve some happiness."

De Pina fielded a congratulatory call from the country's prime minister following his quarter-final win last Friday, and has received "thousands" of messages on social media which he has been unable to answer.

"I'm feeling guilty about that, because they show me love and respect," he added.

"I'm like a celebrity. People are going crazy, there's a lot of emotion.

"I will go to Cape Verde to give them the medal, to celebrate with them."