Afghanistan cyclists Fariba Hashimi and Yulduz are on the verge of a dream come true moment as they head to the Paris Olympics. The sisters have defied the Taliban regime’s orders banning women from all sports to make it to the biggest stage via the special gender-equal team representing Afghanistan.
How sisters overcame Taliban terror to punch ticket to Olympics
Fariba and Yulduz were forced to flee Afghanistan following the Taliban’s takeover in 2021. A ban on women participating in sports meant the sisters’ Olympics dreams were in jeopardy unless they relocated. They managed to get on an evacuation flight for Italian cyclists and joined a cycling team in Italy to receive their first proper coaching in the sport.
In June, the International Olympic Committee announced that it had arranged for a special gender-equal team representing Afghanistan to go the Paris Olympics. It would be made up of three women and three men. And both the sisters are among them.
Gender ban no bar for Fariba and Yulduz
Despite fleeing their country, the sisters are hell bent on attributing their success as Afghanistan’s.
“We are each other’s strength – I support her and she supports me,” says Yulduz to BBC.
“Our achievement belongs to Afghanistan,” adds Fariba. “This belongs to Afghanistan women. I am going to the Olympics because of them.”
“Despite all the rights that were taken from us we can show that we can achieve great success, we will be able to represent 20 million Afghan women.”
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