HANGZHOU, Oct. 4 (Xinhua) --Despite a neck injury yet to fully heal, Yuldoz Hashimi continued to mount her bicycle and persevere in the face of adversity on Wednesday. This Afghan girl had suffered an unfortunate accident earlier and, upon arriving in Hangzhou, trained daily through the pain.
On the 139.7-kilometer course of women's individual road cycling, she didn't feel alone because her 20-year-old sister, Fariba Hashimi, joined her on the track, also racing with a clavicle fracture. "Being able to race at the Asiad is not only a proud moment for me but also for the countless women in Afghanistan," said Yuldoz when asked about her determination to compete. The 23-year-old ultimately finished in 28th place, while Fariba ranked 24th.
Their journey to appear on the Asian Games stage required more sacrifices than most. They once lived in the northern province Faryab, Afghanistan. In 2017, the curious sisters borrowed a neighbor's bicycle to practice and held a basic grasp within a few hours. The old bike felt like a pair of wings, igniting their passion for a sport they had just discovered.
Yuldoz told Xinhua that, influenced by local norms and culture, their parents initially didn't support their cycling ambitions. Nonetheless, they persisted in participating in small-scale competitions and began to excel. "After I won a championship in one of the races, my family started to congratulate me, and that's why I kept going," she said.
However, due to the unstable situation in their homeland, the sisters found it challenging to pursue their dream. With help from the outside world, they bid farewell to their parents in 2021, heading for Italy for professional training. The vastly different language and cultural environment made the journey difficult. What made it even harder was the limited and sporadic communication with their family, whom they hadn't seen since leaving. "To be honest, this was a very tough decision. We had never been so far away from home, but it was for our future," Fariba admitted.
Fortunately, with the care of their club and coaches, the sisters overcame the initial challenges and regained their focus. "We never had coaches in Afghanistan. I thought there was so much to learn, but I didn't realize how much I didn't know about cycling," said Yuldoz. Their love for cycling and innate resilience propelled them to rapid improvement, and they honed their skills through various competitions.
At the 2022 Women's Road Championships of Afghanistan held in Switzerland, Fariba emerged as the new national champion among 50 riders, with Yuldoz following closely behind as the runner-up. Yuldoz was thrilled that her sister won the championship. "For us, having so many Afghan girls participating is the most important thing."
Separated from their families, the sisters became each other's greatest support. Both of them believe that without each other, their individual journeys might not have been as successful. "I am proud that my sister and I have always encouraged and supported each other, giving us the motivation to get better," Fariba said. "Emotionally, it's hard for us to be apart," Yuldoz said, "But now, as professional athletes, sometimes you have to go to competitions and training alone, that's something we have to do."
The Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) has revealed 26 candidates in its first Athletes' Committee elections this year, with Yuldoz among the female nominees for Central Asia. She believes that she has received a lot of help and feels the responsibility to give back to other athletes while pursuing her cycling career. "I am lucky, and now I want to help more athletes by providing them with the necessary support."
The Afghanistan delegation sent 17 female athletes to the Hangzhou Asiad, competing in cycling, volleyball, and other events. Hafizullah Wali Rahimi, an official of the Afghanistan National Olympic Committee, expressed his hope that this could serve as an opportunity to promote education and sports for local females.
The sisters never believed that their dreams were solely their own. They aspire to make history as the first two cyclists representing Afghanistan at the Olympics. "We both want to stand on the Olympic podium for Afghanistan," Yuldoz said. "It's not just about our dream, it's for our family, and most importantly, for the people of our homeland." ■
