Afghan cyclist who trained disguised as a man wins Asian Games silver
Fariba Hashimi, 23, took silver in the women's road race at the 20th Asian Games in Nagoya on Tuesday, years after disguising herself as a man to train in Taliban-era Afghanistan.
Afghan cyclist Fariba Hashimi won the silver medal in the women’s road race at the 20th Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, on Tuesday, finishing second behind China’s Guo Li at the Shinshiro Cycling Road Course, with Hong Kong’s Leung Wing Yee taking bronze, according to AFP and Xinhua’s podium report.
The 23-year-old Italy-based rider, who races for Ceratizit Pro Cycling, called the triumph “something special”.
“I can’t explain my feelings now,” Hashimi said. “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.”
Hashimi, from Faryab province in northern Afghanistan, was attacked with stones and trained disguised as a man alongside her sister Yulduz, who is also now a professional cyclist. She fled Afghanistan after the Taliban returned to power in 2021 — with the help of Italian former world champion Alessandra Cappellotto — and now lives and trains in Italy. The sisters competed at the Paris Olympics two years ago.
“They took away our freedom, they took away everything from us,” she 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.”
Sources
- The Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2026/sep/22/fariba-hashimi-afghan-cyclist-disguised-as-man-evade-taliban-wins-asian-games-silver
- AFP via Philstar: https://www.philstar.com/sports/2026/09/22/2558097/afghan-cyclist-who-disguised-herself-man-wins-asian-games-silver
- Xinhua via Cambodia Times: https://www.cambodiantimes.com/news/279322644/spjapan-nagoya-asian-games-cycling-road-womens-road-race-final
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