The female cyclist who was forced to dress as a man to escape Taliban persecution won a medal at the Asian Games

Female cyclist who was forced to dress as a man to escape Taliban persecution wins medal at Asian Games

Afghan cyclist Fariba Hashimi won a silver medal in the women's road race at the Asian Games on September 22.

According to media reports, the 23-year-old athlete was forced to dress in men's clothing for years in order to train.

Hashimi dedicated her silver medal to Afghan women living under the pressure of the Taliban government.

“This medal shows how resilient Afghan women are. I was born in a country where women who dream of a better life are persecuted. I am glad that I was able to fight against this,” said Fariba Hashimi.

After the Taliban came to power in Afghanistan for the second time in 2021, numerous restrictions were imposed on women. In particular, their participation in sports, working in many sectors, and traveling long distances without a male relative have been restricted.

Fariba Hashimi also faced obstacles in pursuing cycling. According to her, during one of her early training sessions, stones and bottles were thrown at her.

“They would throw bottles at us. They tried to force us back home with aggression,” she says.

After that, Fariba and her sister Yulduz were forced to dress like men during training.

A year after the Taliban seized power, Fariba Hashimi left Afghanistan and moved to Italy. She and her sister were helped by former Italian world champion Alessandra Cappellotto. Through her "Road to Equality" foundation, Cappellotto helps female athletes in conflict zones realize their sporting dreams.

Fariba Hashimi and her sister also previously participated in the Paris Olympics. Now they hope to participate in the Summer Olympic Games to be held in Los Angeles in two years.

“I don't want to give up, and I hope we will qualify for the Olympic Games again,” Hashimi said.