This female player, who won the silver medal in the Asian Games, had to live as a 'man'.

This female player, who won the silver medal in the Asian Games, had to live as a 'man'.

Published 6 minutes ago

Reading Time: 2 minutes

A female cyclist from Afghanistan has won a silver medal in the ongoing Asian Games in Japan. To make a career in sports, he had once taken training by disguising himself as a man.

Fariba Hashimi left her country after the Taliban returned to power in 2021.

She says that earlier she had taken training under compulsion by disguising herself as a man. He did this to avoid the attack. There are strict restrictions on women in Afghanistan.

Hashimi won a silver medal in the race held near Nagoya, Japan on Tuesday.

23-year-old Hashimi had finished seventh in the women's individual time trial on Sunday.

He described his silver medal as "very special". She hopes that her achievement will inspire other women of Afghanistan to fulfill their dreams.

She said, "I was born in a country where women who dream are attacked. I am very happy that I have fought against it."

He said, "I hope that the next generation will come here and represent their country without any fear."

Skip to Most Read Skip to content

most read

finished

skip ahead podcast

Dinbhar: Same voice, new style

Big news from the country and the world that made headlines.

episode

finished

Hashimi started cycling at the age of 15, following in the footsteps of his sister Yulduz. Yulduz is also an international level cyclist. However, cycling was dangerous in his home province of Faryab.

"I used to train as a man. I used to wear two or three different masks so that people wouldn't recognize me and attack me," Hashimi had previously told Reuters.

He said that he was afraid that people would throw stones at him while riding a bicycle.

With the help of Italy's former world champion Alessandra Capellotto, Hashimi now lives in Italy and trains there.

Recalling his life in Afghanistan, Hashimi said the Taliban "took away our freedom".

She said, "This silver medal shows the courage of Afghan women. I am very happy with it."

She said, "I am not alone. I know that millions of women from many countries are behind me. They also have the same dream and they stand with me."

Hashimi and his sister participated in the 2024 Paris Olympics. Now his eyes are on the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

Hashimi said, "I never want to give up. Hopefully we can see what can happen again in Los Angeles."

We used AI to translate this article, which was originally written in English. A BBC journalist checked this translation before publication. Learn more about how we're using AI.