Sports
Afghan cyclist who escaped Taliban wins Asian Games silver
September 22, 2026 at 12:57 PM · Updated 24d ago
Coverage
3 reports · over 9 hours
BNBBC News
Fariba Hashimi: Afghanistan cyclist who dressed as man to avoid Taliban wins Asian Games silver medal
(opens the publisher’s site)
AJAl Jazeera English
Afghan cyclist who escaped Taliban wins Asian Games silver medal
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TGThe Guardian
Afghan cyclist who disguised herself as a man to evade Taliban wins Asian Games silver
(opens the publisher’s site)Afghan cyclist Fariba Hashimi, who disguised herself as a man to train under Taliban rule, won Asian Games silver in Japan on Tuesday.
- The 23-year-old Italy-based cyclist finished second in the women's road race near Nagoya on Tuesday, winning silver.
- Hashimi, who fled Afghanistan after the Taliban returned to power in 2021, said she had trained disguised as a man and was attacked with stones.
- Hashimi said the silver "can show a lot of resilience from Afghan women" and that millions of women were standing with her.
- She thanked the Japanese team for repairing her bike without a mechanic and hoped to compete at the 2028 Los Angeles Games.
- Hashimi's road-race silver followed a seventh-place finish in the time trial at the same Games in Japan.
- Hashimi said she hoped the medal would inspire other Afghans to follow their dreams.