Afghan cyclist Fariba Hashimi, who once disguised herself as a man to pursue cycling in Afghanistan, has won a silver medal in the women’s road race at the 20th Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan.

Hashimi finished second in the road race final at the Shinshiro Cycling Road Course in Aichi Prefecture on Tuesday, according to Amu TV.

China’s Guo Li won the gold medal, while Leung Wing Yee of Hong Kong took bronze.

The silver came two days after Hashimi finished seventh in the women’s individual time trial, where she competed against 14 riders.

The 23-year-old completed the 24.2-kilometre time-trial course two minutes and three seconds behind Kazakhstan’s Rinata Sultanova, who won the event, Amu TV reported.

Hashimi’s journey to the Asian Games podium has been marked by the dangers she faced while pursuing cycling in Afghanistan.

According to Reuters, Hashimi began cycling at 15 after following her sister, Yulduz, into the sport, but had to disguise herself as a man to attend training in her home province of Faryab.

“I always dressed as a man to go to training, wearing two or three different masks so people would not recognise or attack me. I was scared of them finding me,” Reuters quoted Hashimi as saying.

She also told Reuters that stones and bottles were thrown at her while she and her sister trained.

“I sometimes had a big stone thrown at my head. People were throwing bottles at me. They were trying to make us go home by being aggressive and attacking us,” she said.

Hashimi fled Afghanistan after the Taliban returned to power in 2021 and is now based in Italy.

Afghan women and girls have faced sweeping restrictions on education, employment, movement and participation in public life.

Hashimi moved to Italy, where she and Yulduz continued their careers. The sisters subsequently represented Afghanistan at the 2024 Paris Olympics, Reuters reported.

Reflecting on her experience, Hashimi said her participation was about more than her individual performance.

“For me it’s not just about my performance but showing my country a woman in this situation. We are still alive and still fighting,” she said.

Hashimi had also expressed hope that Afghan girls would one day be able to pursue their ambitions and compete internationally from inside the country.

“I hope something can change so the next generation can come from inside of the country to compete at the Asian Games, exploring the world and winning medals,” she said.

Hashimi’s silver medal in the road race is Afghanistan’s latest achievement at the Asian Games, following her seventh-place finish in the individual time trial.

Source: punchng.com

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Senegalese football star Sadio Mané has launched a CFA11.7bn ($20.4m) agro-industrial project in his hometown of Bambali, southern Senegal, aimed at expanding mango processing and creating jobs.

Ecofin Agency reports on Monday that the project, known as SM10 Agro, was launched on September 19 in Bambali, Sédhiou Region.

The complex will include a processing plant with an annual capacity of 8,500 tonnes of mangoes, producing mango pulp, dried fruit and mango butter.

It will also include a 500-hectare plantation of Kent mangoes.

The project is located in Casamance, Senegal’s leading mango-producing region, where limited processing facilities have contributed to significant post-harvest losses.

Senegal loses an estimated 30 to 45 per cent of harvested fruit annually, with poor farming practices, harvesting and transportation challenges, and limited processing outlets among the factors contributing to the losses, Ecofin Agency reported.

Speaking at the launch, Mané said he wanted his legacy to extend beyond football.

“I don’t want to be remembered only for the goals I scored. Before the stadiums, the lights and the victories, there was, of course, Bambali. This is where my dreams began… We want to help create jobs and develop agriculture,” Mane was quoted as saying.

The facility is expected to allow more mangoes to be processed locally, including fruit that may not qualify for export to European Union markets because of phytosanitary requirements.

A 2023 study by the Initiative Prospective Agricole et Rurale, cited by Ecofin Agency, found that existing mango processing facilities in Casamance were concentrated mainly in the Ziguinchor region, while Sédhiou and Kolda remained poorly equipped despite producing local mango varieties.

The study also identified limited access to packaging and labelling services in Casamance as a challenge for processors, forcing some businesses to depend on Dakar for the services.

Mané’s investment comes as Senegal’s mango export industry recovers from recent difficulties linked to fruit-fly infestations and other phytosanitary problems.

Senegal exported about 27,000 tonnes of mangoes in 2021, but export volumes subsequently declined following problems that affected access to the European market.

Exports to Europe reportedly rose to more than 19,000 tonnes in 2026, up from about 14,000 tonnes the previous season, following improved phytosanitary measures, particularly efforts to control fruit flies.

Source: punchng.com

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Peter Fury, uncle and former trainer of Tyson Fury, has warned that Anthony Joshua could knock out his nephew when the pair finally meet in the ring, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.

Speaking on the Fight Your Corner podcast, in partnership with Midnite, Fury said he could see only two outcomes; his nephew outboxing Joshua, or Joshua handing him the first stoppage defeat of his career.

“I have not really thought about it, to be honest. He (Fury) is either going to outbox (him) and he will get to Joshua or Joshua is going to find the target and he will clean him out. So, it is one or the other, is it not? So, we will see which one,” he said.

“I think it all comes down to what game plans they are going to do.”

An announcement on the long-awaited fight was expected after both men won their warm-up bouts in July, against Mariusz Wach and Kristian Prenga respectively, but talks stalled.

Organisers reportedly wanted to stage the all-British contest in New York City, even though Joshua had signed a contract for a fight in the United Kingdom.

After prolonged negotiations, the latest reports suggest the fight is back on and is likely to take place in Cardiff, Wales, this December.

It remains unclear whether the main event will be held in the early hours of the morning to suit Netflix’s US audience.

Fans are still waiting for official confirmation, but a deal is said to be nearing completion for one of the biggest events on the 2026 boxing calendar.

Source: punchng.com

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