Afghanistan's Women's Basketball Championship began on Monday in the nation's capital, marking the third time the competition has been held. The tournament provides an opportunity for female teams from around the country to face-off in a sport that has seen growing popularity and vie for 12 limited spots on the Afghan Women's National Basketball Team.

According to Ghous Nekbeen, the head of the Afghan Basketball Federation (ABF), the players who show best at the tournament in Kabul this week will represent Afghanistan in a friendly match against Iran's national team.

After years of exclusion from the world of competitive or recreational athletics, opportunities for Afghan women to play sports and be able to represent their country have be welcomed by many pro-women groups and embraced by Afghans around the country. Over 100 players will be participating in the tournament this week, representing ten teams from Kabul, Heart and Balkh provinces.

The tournament is being held at the National Olympic Stadium and is scheduled to run until Wednesday. On the first day of the competition, the team from Herat city defeated the Red Cross team.

Although the event may have some pondering the extent of progress women have seen in Afghanistan over the years, for those participating in the tournament, all the focus is performing well and getting the most out of the games this week.

"It is a good opportunity for female basketball players to improve their skills," said Behista Darwish, one of the participants in the tournament.