From dressing as a man to competing with the elite, no backpedalling for Afghan Hashimi

NAGOYA, Japan, Sept 20 - For someone who had to disguise herself as a man, dodge thrown stones and eventually flee her homeland to pursue cycling, Fariba Hashimi's seventh-place finish in the women's individual time trial at the Asian Games carried profound personal meaning for the 23-year-old Afghan.

Hashimi, who fled Afghanistan after the Taliban returned to power in 2021 and is now settled in Italy, hopes her journey serves as an inspiration back home even as UNESCO estimates that 2.4 million Afghan girls have been excluded from secondary education since the change of guard.

”For me it’s not just about my performance but showing my country a woman in this situation,” Hashimi said. ”We are still alive and still fighting.

”I hope something can change so the next generation can come from inside of the country to compete at the Asian Games, exploring the world and winning medals.”

Hashimi followed her sister Yulduz, also an international cyclist, into the sport at the age of 15, though it proved to be a path fraught with danger in their home province of Faryab.

”I always dressed as a man to go to training, wearing two or three different masks so people would not recognise or attack me,” Hashimi said. “I was scared of them finding me.

”I sometimes had a big stone thrown at my head. People were throwing bottles at me. They were trying to make us go home by being aggressive and attacking us.

”I had a really bad time but I’m not saying my people are bad. We’ve got such a wonderful country. But the mentality is different.”

With help from 1997 road cycling world champion Alessandra Cappellotto, Hashimi switched to Italy and both sisters competed at the Paris Olympics two years ago.

”It is sad that I can’t live in my country,” Hashimi said. “I haven’t seen my family for such a long time.

”To follow my dream, I escaped from my country. I escaped from the stones of the people."

”In the future, I’m really hoping to change some things inside my country. It is my big dream to come back and inspire my people.” REUTERS