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Afghan cyclist who disguised herself as man wins Asian Games silver

Fariba Hashimi said the medal can inspire Afghan women after she fled Taliban rule and now lives and trains in Italy.

  • On Tuesday, Italy-based Fariba Hashimi secured silver in the women's road race at the Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan, calling the achievement "something special."
  • Hashimi, who hails from Faryab, Afghanistan, fled after the Taliban returned to power in 2021 and relocated to Italy with help from Alessandra Cappellotto, a former world champion.
  • As a teenager, Hashimi trained disguised as a man while enduring physical attacks, alongside her sister Yulduz. "This silver medal can show a lot of resilience from Afghan women," she said.
  • Competing without a dedicated mechanic, Hashimi managed her own bike maintenance with minimal preparation resources. "Thank you to the Japanese team. They were really, really nice to me," she said.
  • Targeting the 2028 Los Angeles Games, Hashimi aims to represent her country again. "I never want to give up and hopefully we can see again in Los Angeles," she said.
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Afghan cyclist Fariba Hashimi dressed up as a man to escape the Taliban's reign of terror. Now the 23-year-old has won silver at the Asian Games in Japan. “I can't describe my feelings,” Hashimi told The Guardian.

·Stockholm, Sweden
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The cyclist Fariba Hashimi, who at the beginning of her career needed to disguise herself as a man to train in Afghanistan, won the silver medal in her category on Tuesday at the Asian Games in Japan. At the age of 23, the athlete, who currently lives and trains in Italy, expects the result to inspire other Afghan women. 'I need to do this': Mbappé talks about refusing a contract of R$ 117 million with Nike to become a Swiss-branded shareholder …

·Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
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South China Morning Post broke the news in Hong Kong, Hong Kong on Tuesday, September 22, 2026.
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