Zahra Rezayee
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Zahra Rezayee | |
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| Born | March 21, 1992 |
| Nationality | Afghan |
| Occupation | Afghan Road Cyclist |
Zahra Rezayee (born 21 March 1992) is an Afghan road cyclist.[1] She is a refugee from Afghanistan in Italy. She is a national championships medalist and competed at the 2023 UCI Road World Championships. With her contribution to road cycling she aims for better possibilities of Afghan women.[2]
Biography
After the Fall of Kabul by the Taliban in 2021, women's rights and freedoms were cracked down, including that is was banned for women to practice sports. With the help of Alessandra Cappellotto she was able to leave Afghanistan with a few other women on a flight organised by the Italian government in 2021. Her family still lives in Afghanistan. She started living in the Veneto region in a flat together with Fariba Hashimi and Yulduz Hashimi. Cappellotto also helped them with new bikes, a coach (Maurizio) and a training schedule for them.[3] Since the takeover by the Taliban, out of the 52 Afghan sport federation, Afghan women only participate in cycling (as of 2023)[2] Initially it was just cycling, because she was not ready to compete emotionally, mentally and physically.[2]
From 1 August 2022 she joined team Valcar–Travel & Service.[1][2] The women’s Afghanistan national championships were held in Aigle, Switzerland in October 2022. In this road race she won the bronze medal behind Fariba Hashimi and Yulduz Hashimi.[4][5] Together with those two women and three men she competed in the mixed team relay event at the 2023 UCI Road World Championships in Glasgow. It marked the first time since the Fall of Kabul by the Taliban that women represented Afghanistan at a World Championships. After the men finished and the three women started, Rezayee fell on the starting podium. As the time of the second rider counts, the two others continued. Minor injured, Rezayee continued chasing. Because one of the other two women had a puncture, she finished the race with Hashimi. While it was in last place 18 minutes behind Switzerland, they achieved (for themselves) an important goal.[2]
Next of her goal to become an professional cyclist and Olympian, she competes to represent the Afghan women and be an sign of hope form them. She hopes with her contribution to road cycling, the world continue to support Afghan women.[2]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Zahra Rezayee". ProCyclingStats. Retrieved 9 August 2023.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 "Met vallen en opstaan: Afghaanse WK-debutanten dromen van Spelen in Parijs". NOS (in Nederlands). 9 August 2023.
- ↑ "Yulduz and Fariba Hashimi: Escaping the Taliban, chasing a dream". BBC. 8 March 2023.
- ↑ "Fariba Hashimi wins Women's Road Championships of Afghanistan". Cycling News. 23 October 2022.
- ↑ "Hashimi sisters dominate Afghanistan national championships in Switzerland". Olympics.com. 23 October 2022.
External links
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