The wushu women of Kabul

In this photograph taken on January 29, 2017, Afghan members of a Wushu martial arts group led by trainer Sima Azimi (centre), 20, pose for a photograph at the Shahrak Haji Nabi hilltop overlooking Kabul. -AFP

KABUL: Sima Azimi frowns as she pirouettes in the snow, suspended for a moment against the sky on a hill overlooking Kabul and above the conservatism of contemporary Afghanistan.

There is still a need for boldness among young Afghans who wish to indulge in sport -- even more so with a martial art like wushu, popularised by stars such as Jackie Chan and Jet Li, which Azimi has taught for a year in the war-torn capital.