From dressing as a man to competing with the elite, no backpedalling for Afghan cyclist Hashimi
The Afghan cyclist fled Taliban rule and now races from Italy, with UNESCO estimating 2.4 million girls excluded from secondary education.
- Afghan cyclist Fariba Hashimi achieved seventh place in the women's individual time trial at the Asian Games, a finish carrying profound personal meaning for the 23-year-old who overcame years of danger training in Faryab.
- To avoid recognition while training, Hashimi disguised herself as a man in Faryab, wearing multiple masks; locals threw stones and bottles at her to intimidate her from pursuing cycling.
- Following the Taliban's 2021 return to power, Hashimi fled Afghanistan and settled in Italy, where she and her sister Yulduz received support from 1997 road cycling world champion Alessandra Cappellotto before competing at the Paris Olympics.
- UNESCO estimates that 2.4 million Afghan girls have been excluded from secondary education since the Taliban's return, making Hashimi's international success a rare beacon of inspiration for women in her home country.
- Hashimi said she dreams of returning to Afghanistan to inspire the next generation. "In the future, I'm really hoping to change some things inside my country," she said, emphasizing her commitment to transform conditions for athletes.
6 Articles
6 Articles
Asian Games 2026: From dressing as a man to competing with the elite, no backpedalling for Afghan cyclist Fariba Hashimi
Afghan cyclist Fariba Hashimis seventh-place finish at the Asian Games carried deep personal meaning after she fled Afghanistan to pursue her cycling dream. Now based in Italy, Hashimi hopes her journey inspires Afghan women and helps pave the way for the next generation to compete internationally.
From dressing as a man to competing with the elite, no backpedalling for Afghan Hashimi
The 23-year-old Afghan cyclist had to disguise herself as a man, dodge thrown stones and flee her homeland. Her performance at the Asian Games carried profound personal meaning.
There is a cyclist who had to dress like a man just to get on the saddle. She even covered her face with two or three layers of masks so that people wouldn't recognize her. Stones and water bottles were thrown at her simply because she was a woman pedaling. There is a female cyclist who broke those taboos and stepped onto the stage of the Asian Games, a festival for 4.9 billion Asians. This is the story of Afghan female cyclist Pariba Hashimi (2…
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