Wushu fighter Khalid Hotak sweats in his chest padding as he spars with a teammate in a Kabul gym, fighting off financial worries as well as opponents as they prepare for the Asian Games, which kick off on 23 September. They are part of a delegation representing Afghanistan in 15 sports next week in Hangzhou, China, for the first time since the Taliban seized power in 2021. IMAGES AND SOUNDBITES