NAGOYA — Afghan cyclist Fariba Hashimi finished seventh in the women’s individual time trial at the Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan, on September 20. Reuters reported that the 23-year-old viewed the result as a significant personal achievement after years of obstacles that began when she took up cycling in Afghanistan. According to Reuters, Hashimi grew up in Faryab province and faced strong social opposition while training, including attacks and occasions when she disguised herself as a man to ride. Those details are based on Hashimi’s account and have not been independently verified by Margalla News.
After the Taliban returned to power in 2021, Hashimi left Afghanistan and later settled in Italy. Reuters said former cycling world champion Alessandra Cappellotto helped her and her sister Yulduz continue their careers. Hashimi has since competed internationally, including at the Paris Olympics.
Her seventh-place finish comes as Afghan athletes participate in the 20th Asian Games. Afghanistan’s state-run Bakhtar News Agency reported on September 20 on the country’s participation in the Games, providing broader context, though its available report did not contain the same detail about Hashimi’s individual result. Margalla News treats Reuters as the primary source for the result and Hashimi’s account, with Bakhtar used for contextual verification of broader Afghan participation.