While many Afghans are scandalised to see a woman in sports kit speeding past on a racing bike, the country’s female cyclists are currently training
While many Afghans are scandalised to see a woman in sports kit speeding past on a racing bike, the country’s female cyclists are currently training three times a week on unused roads on a plain north of Kabul.
Malika Yousufi is part of the National Team, a group which has been breaking new ground for women’s sports in Afghanistan and pushing the boundaries of what is – and is not – acceptable for young women in the conservative Muslim country.
Its 10 members, most between the ages of 17 and 22, have yet to win any medals but that is only pushing them to train harder and persevere despite formidable obstacles.
