A regional tournament featuring traditional martial arts opened in Kabul on Thursday, bringing together athletes from six countries for a three-day competition.
Participants from Iran, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan and Turkey are competing in disciplines including kurash, wrestling, sambo and other traditional combat sports. Organizers said about 160 athletes are taking part.
Senior Taliban officials and foreign representatives attended the opening ceremony, including Amir Khan Muttaqi, who said the presence of international athletes reflected improved security conditions in Afghanistan.
“The arrival of international athletes shows that Afghanistan has become a safe place,” he said, adding that the authorities aim to support younger generations through education and sports.
Muttaqi also said their administration maintains cooperative ties with regional countries, particularly in Central Asia, and described sports as a means of strengthening relations among nations. He expressed concern about the risk of a “dangerous” conflict in the region and called for continued dialogue and cease-fire efforts, without elaborating.
Ahmadullah Wasiq, the Taliban head of sports directorate, said the event reflects broader efforts to expand athletics nationwide.
“We consider sport a human necessity, a bridge for connection and a means of unity,” he said, adding that hundreds of sporting events are held across the country each month.
He said the tournament would run for three days and has drawn athletes, officials and spectators from across the region.
The event is held at a time that Taliban have banned women from all forms of sports since their return to power in August 2021.
