Table tennis becomes increasingly popular among girls in northern Afghanistan

SHIBERGHAN, Afghanistan - "I've been playing ping-pong (table tennis) since I was 9 years old, and I play every day as it's a popular sport among girls here in Jawzjan," said 17-year-old Afghan teenage girl Nargis Faiz.

Wearing sports gear and holding a paddle, Faiz told Xinhua that she has been playing ping-pong over the past eight years with a dream to earn the title of champion in table tennis.

Jawzjan province with Shiberghan as its capital 390 kilometers north of Kabul has been regarded as a relatively troubled province as Taliban militants are operational in parts of the country.