Three sisters who weave high-quality carpets in Afghanistan's Kabul see an opportunity for their craft to reach global buyers at the China International Import Expo (CIIE), ongoing from November 5 to 10 in Shanghai.
Zahra, Fatima and Marzia, three sisters who were deprived of school and higher education, have mastered the art of carpet weaving over the last few years.
The time-honored craft is now the best possible way for them to bring food to the table. They are known as "the three carpet master sisters" in their neighborhood in western Kabul.
Their mother, Roqia Amiri, said she lost her husband, a well-known cleric, due to cancer after a long struggle with illness, and her daughters are now the only breadwinners of the family.
"I'm glad that my daughters have taken responsibility for their brothers and father by weaving carpets and are doing okay," said Roqia Amiri.
The three sisters weave not just carpets, but dreams and resilience into every thread, turning tradition into a tapestry of hope and strength.
They see the CIIE as a ray of hope, promising better wages and a better life for their family.
"These Afghan carpets are being exported from Afghanistan and the CIIE plays a vital role in selling these carpets worldwide, which expands weaving opportunities inside Afghanistan," said Zahra.
The young women take deep pride in their work and are eager to share their carpets with Chinese consumers.
"Weaving carpets is really hard work. It takes months to weave carpets with the threads. But as a result, a life-time guarantee carpet is being produced," said Marzia.
In Afghanistan, most carpets are weaved by girls and women in many provinces of the country, including the capital city Kabul.
The CIIE, the world's first national-level exposition dedicated to imports, has provided a broader market for handmade Afghan carpets, an industry that employs thousands of families.
China Int'l Import Expo provides opportunities to Afghan handmade carpet weavers
China's top-ranked tennis player Zheng Qinwen triumphed over Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan in three sets at the WTA Finals in Riyadh on Monday, securing her first victory in the tournament.
Zheng, who had previously lost to Rybakina twice, broke serve to take a 4-1 lead in the opening set, but the Kazakhstani broke back in the seventh game, pushing the set to a tiebreak. Zheng excelled in the tiebreak, winning the first set.
In the second set, Zheng again took an early break but was soon broken back by Rybakina, who then won three consecutive games from 3-3 to level the match. In the decisive third set, Zheng raised her game, breaking Rybakina's serve twice, and ultimately claimed victory 7-6 (4), 3-6, 6-1.
This victory marked Zheng's first win at the WTA Finals in her debut appearance. Reflecting on her victory, Zheng said she feels quite happy for defeating Rybakina for the first time, and she called the game as a collision of two powerful players.
"I think I played at 60 percent of my ability today. In fact, in the first two sets, my excitement wasn't fully ignited. I actually had several opportunities in the first set, but I lost them. And I think my step adjustments have not reached a very detailed state in the first set. Also, in the second set, I broke the serve at 3-2, but I lost the game 30-0 on my serve. It was a great pity, because if it was 4-2, I could probably win the match in two sets. When it came to the third set, I became really activated after I bellowed out the first 'come on'. I finally felt that I started to move really well and react faster and faster. Then in the end, I felt that I was full of energy, and I didn't feel tired," said Zheng.
The young player said the key point for winning this game is concentration.
"I think when I broke through a clutch shot, I didn't lose concentration, but instead, I sustained a high level of performance. The most important thing to play against Rybakina was to consistently uphold the high level. I couldn't get my state down, because that will make opportunities slip away very quickly. In the third set, I finally felt that this is my tennis, and I really should play in this way from the beginning to the end," she said.
Zheng remains in contention to advance from the group stage with this victory, and she said she would concentrate on her own games and filter out what's happening outside.
"I should play point by point and game by game. I don't really think too much, like about the rules. If you want to be the best, you must try your best to win all the games and don't think too much. I think I have the strength and ability, but I still have to calm down and do it step by step," said Zheng.
Zheng is the first Chinese singles player to qualify for the WTA Finals since Li Na in 2013, when the latter finished runner-up after narrowly losing to Serena Williams.
Zheng Qinwen defeats Rybakina to claim her first win at WTA Finals
