Olympics-Afghan sisters cycle into Paris in pre-Taliban colours

By Geert De Clercq

PARIS (Reuters) - Two Afghan sisters in the black, red and green of Afghanistan's pre-Taliban flag entered the Paris suburbs near the head of the peloton in the Olympic women's road race on Sunday, throwing a spotlight briefly on their six-athlete team.

Sent by Afghanistan’s Olympic Committee-in-exile as part of a gender-equal team of three men and three women, Yulduz and Fariba Hashimi were part of a small group of cyclists riding ahead of the peloton as it neared the capital, with Fariba taking second spot as the riders entered the city limits.

While the Taliban have discarded the old Afghan flag and replaced it with a white one carrying an Islamic oath in black letters, the colours featured prominently on the uniform of the Hashimis, who fled Afghanistan in 2021 after the Taliban took over.

In an interview with France 24 ahead of the race, Fariba, 21, said she hoped that her presence and performance in the Paris Olympics would help push back against the idea that women and girls had no place in the world of professional sports.

"I will try to do it for my people, to show that cycling is something nice that everyone can do, not just the men but women as well," she said.

The Taliban, who say they respect women's rights in line with their interpretation of Islamic law and local customs, have closed girls' high schools, placed travel restrictions on women without a male guardian and restricted access to parks and gyms since seizing power in August 2021.

No Taliban official was allowed at the Games. Both the head of Afghanistan's national Olympic committee recognised by the IOC and its secretary general are currently in exile, the International Olympic Committee has said.

(Reporting by Geert De Clercq; Editing by Hugh Lawson)