Kolkata : A country, where extremists prevail, Women are barred from participating in Sports, Education, Jobs, the Hashimi sisters defied odds to touch chase their Olympics dream.
The Hashimi sisters are the 1st Women cyclists to represent Afghanistan in Olympics. However, their participation from extremist Afghanistan society is more than winning medals.
The beginning of the dream
Born in a remote , conservative area in Faryab , Afghanistan, Fariba and Yulduz Hashimi were destined to define odds.
During their teen age, they saw a local cycling tournament, and decided to take part in it. They also had to make sure that no one, especially their parents recognize them,due to extremist and conservative area where they believe women taking part in any sports is a crime.
The other problem being they didn’t have a bike. Therefore they borrowed a neighbour’s bike and decided to take part in it.
The sisters used false names and covered themselves up, wearing big baggy clothing, large headscarves and sunglasses so people didn’t recognise them.
When the tournament took place, both sisters emerged as 1st and 2nd.
“No one ever thought that women would ride bicycles in Faryab,” said Fariba. “We thought it would be a small contest, but it caused quite a stir.”
“When I rode a bicycle for the first time, I felt a sense of freedom,” Yulduz said.
The struggle before glory
They continued to take part in tournaments, and winning trophies.Their Father and Mother, however, turned out to be a lot supportive, but society wasn’t.
People in that conservative area of Afghanistan always hurled insults at the girls.
“Some people said cycling wasn’t suitable for girls and accused us of encouraging women and girls into immoral activities,” Yulduz added.
“We were afraid something bad might happen to us, and someone might harm us.”
To avoid them, the girls used to practice at evening, when there’re comparatively less amount of eyes present to watch them.
Days even went when a rickshaw driver rammed Yulduz while she was training, breaking her wrist. Another time, bystanders – incensed by the sight of women and men training together – pelted them with stones and abuse.
Escape from Taliban clutches
The bad was yet to come. In 2021 , taliban took complete control of Afghanistan government, the world was silent. The government issued extreme islamic laws, banning women from education, jobs, sports or any other activities, & were restricted to household.
At that time, Yulduz was studying literature at university and Fariba was hoping to study medicine.
A blessing in disguise came when they escaped with the help of their networks in Cycling Community. They fled far from Kabul to a place where their dreams could be achieved, with help of Italian cyclist Alessandra Cappellotto.
Back in Afghanistan, we didn’t have professional training,” says Yulduz. “All we used to do was take our bikes and ride.”But leaving their homeland and family was not easy.
“The biggest thing for me is to be away from my mother,” says Fariba. “I never thought that because of cycling I would be separated from my brothers and sisters.”
A New turn in life
They settled in northern Italy, where they resumed their training on the twisty mountain terrains of the Little Dolomites. Cappellotto arranged everything from language lessons to contracts with an Italian cycling team.
In 2022, Fariba was crowned Afghan women’s cycling champion after inching ahead of her sister at the Women’s Road Championships of Afghanistan – a contest held in Switzerland for 50 Afghan cyclists living in exile.
The race was hosted by the UCI, the world governing body for cycling. They have since joined the UCI World Cycling Centre’s women’s team in Switzerland.
Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan even raised doubts of the nation’s Olympics participation. However, International Olympics Committee are allowed to select athletes without Government interference. The International Olympics Committee wanted the Afghan women to participate in Olympics Sports.
Call for Paris Olympics 2024 – A step towards dream fulfillment
As Paris Olympics 2024 came nearer, there’re clouds of doubts whether Afghanistan would even participate in it.
However, tables turned with IOC’s decision. They announced in June, a gender equal team for Afghanistan comprising 6 athletes – 3 men and 3 women. Both the sisters were in that team along with sprinter Kamia Yousufi.
“This was a big surprise for both of us,” says Fariba.
“We always dreamt of taking part in the Olympic Games, this is our dream come true,” Yulduz adds.
“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”, said Yulduz.
Preparations for Olympics
The sisters are now preparing for Paris Olympics 2024 in Road Cycling Race event, in World Cycling Center, with ultra modern facilities.
Both sisters are each other’s support systems and they’re doing this for Afghanistan , especially it’s women.
“We are each other’s strength – I support her and she supports me,” says Yulduz.
“Our achievement belongs to Afghanistan,” adds Fariba. “This belongs to Afghanistan women. I am going to the Olympics because of them.”
Whether they win or not, their participation with such struggle, zeal, determination, defying odds and conservative, extremist islamic society, taliban takeover, is beyond winning a medal.
