Afghan cyclist Fariba Hashimi, who disguised herself as a man to pursue cycling as a teenager, won the silver medal in the women’s road race at the Asian Games in Japan on Tuesday and said she hopes her achievement inspires women in Afghanistan.The 23-year-old, who is now based in Italy, finished second in the race near Nagoya and described the medal as “something special”.“I can’t explain my feelings now,” Hashimi said after winning silver, as quoted by news agency AFP.She recalled how she began cycling with her sister Yulduz in Afghanistan, where she was attacked with stones and trained while disguised as a man.“I was born inside a country where the women who dream are getting attacked, and I’m really happy that I have fought against that,” she said.“I hope that the next generation will come here and represent their country without any fear.”Hashimi left Afghanistan after the Taliban returned to power in 2021. Since then, the Taliban authorities have imposed a series of restrictions on women, including limiting their access to education, public life and sport.“They took away our freedom, they took away everything from us,” Hashimi said.“This silver medal can show a lot of resilience from Afghan women, and I’m really happy.“I’m not alone, I know that behind me millions of women, from many countries, have the same dream and they are standing with me.”Hashimi was helped to leave Afghanistan by Italian former world champion Alessandra Cappellotto and later moved to Italy, where she now lives and trains.She and her sister represented Afghanistan at the Paris Olympics two years ago, and she is now looking ahead to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.“I never want to give up and hopefully we can see (what can happen) again in Los Angeles,” she said.
