KABUL (Pajhwok): The ninth round of traditional taekwondo qualifying competitions involving 130 athletes began in Kabul on Monday.

At the start of the competitions, Kalajan Wafa, the head of the National Taekwondo Federation of Afghanistan (ITTAF), told Pajhwok Afghan News that the ninth round included 130 athletes from 13 provinces and would last for five days.

He added that the competitions were aimed at selecting best players for the taekwondo national team and to enhance the capacity of athletes.

He said that the competitions will be held in three age categories (youngsters, youth and adults).

According to him, at the end of the competitions, 30 athletes will be selected for the national team.

Mohammad Mirwais, an athlete from Herat province, told Pajhwok that he has been practicing taekwondo for 14 years and this was his first time participating in the national competitions.

He added he had prepared himself for the competitions and would try to make it to the national team.

He asked officials to support the athletes in various fields.

Another participant, Rashad, said that he was happy that he was participating in the national competitions for the first time.

He said that he had practiced a lot for the competitions and was hopeful to be selected for the national team.

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