Fariba Hashimi (M)
Afghan cyclist Fariba Hashimi has won a silver medal at the Asian Games after overcoming significant challenges to pursue her career in the sport.
Hashimi fled Afghanistan after the Taliban returned to power in 2021. Before leaving the country, the 23-year-old trained in disguise as a man because of restrictions on women and fears for her safety.
She won silver in the women’s road race near Nagoya, Japan, on Tuesday, following a seventh-place finish in the women’s individual time trial on Sunday.
Hashimi, who began cycling at 15 alongside her sister Yulduz, said she often wore multiple masks and dressed as a man to avoid being recognised while travelling to training in her home province of Faryab.
She also faced hostility while riding, including people throwing stones at her.
Hashimi now lives and trains in Italy with support from former world champion Alessandra Cappellotto.
She and her sister represented Afghanistan at the 2024 Paris Olympics and are now targeting the 2028 Los Angeles Games.
Describing her silver medal as “something special”, Hashimi said she hopes her achievement will inspire women in Afghanistan and elsewhere to pursue their dreams.
“I hope that the next generation will come here and represent their country without any fear,” she said.
Hashimi added that the medal represented the resilience of Afghan women and said she would never give up on her Olympic ambitions.