Fariba Hashimi Wins Silver at Asian Games After Remarkable Journey

Sports Correspondent:Imran Sohail

Afghan cyclist Fariba Hashimi won a silver medal in the women’s road race at the Asian Games 2026 on Tuesday, achieving a major milestone after a difficult journey in her sporting career.

The 23-year-old Paris 2024 Olympian became Afghanistan’s first female Asian Games medallist since 2002.

From Afghanistan to the Asian Games Podium

Hashimi first started cycling less than a decade ago in Afghanistan’s northern Faryab province.

At the time, she had to keep her cycling activities hidden and used sunglasses and scarves while training.

Her career changed significantly after she left Afghanistan in 2021 following the return of the Taliban and restrictions placed on women’s activities.

She later rebuilt her cycling career in Italy and went on to represent Afghanistan at the Paris 2024 Olympics.

Silver Medal in Aichi-Nagoya

Hashimi entered the Asian Games with hopes of reaching the podium.

After finishing seventh in the women’s time trial on Sunday, she secured silver in the road race on Tuesday.

The result marked one of the most significant achievements of her career and ended a long wait for an Afghan female medallist at the Asian Games.

Medal Carries Special Meaning

Hashimi said she arrived at the Asian Games with the dream of standing on the podium and representing Afghanistan.

She described the silver medal as a symbol of resilience for Afghan women and said she felt she was representing many women who share similar ambitions.

For Hashimi, the medal represents not only her progress as a cyclist but also the journey she has made from secretly riding a bicycle in Afghanistan to competing on an international stage.

Her Asian Games achievement adds another important chapter to her growing cycling career.