At least 500 martial arts fighters attended a Kung Fu competition in Kabul that began on Tuesday. Titled the Peace Cup, the competition will serve as an opportunity for the best athletes to be selected for the Kabul "A team" and the national squad.  

The event will last for five days and martial arts fighters from 75 Kabul clubs will compete in four age categories. 

“The number of participants is 565 people in four categories… and the goal is to find the best fighters so that they can attend national level competitions that will be held in March,” said Habibullah Fayizi, head of the Kung Fu federation. 

Those who attended the event said it is a helpful improvement for the sport in Afghanistan, which has seen a slow pace of development over the last few years. 

“We have put in a lot of effort to get ready for the competitions. Such events are good for the improvement of the sport,” said Mohammad Ehsan, an athlete. 

“It is good not only for us but for other sportsmen,” said Mohammad Omar, an athlete.

Officials said they are working on a plan to hold similar competitions in 32 provinces of the country in the near future.