NAGOYA, Japan (AP) — The easy part for Fariba Hashimi was winning a silver medal in the women's cycling road race at the Asian Games.
The nearly impossible part for the female cyclist from Afghanistan was trying to train in her country. To do that, she dressed as a man in a place where women have few rights.
“All the time when I was going to training,” she said, “I was dressing as a guy.”
She said she also hid her face when she could in order to not be recognized.
“Because sometimes when they recognized me, they were trying to throw ... stone(s) or hitting me," she said.
Hashimi, who is 23, won silver Tuesday in a time of 2 hours, 50 minutes, 5 seconds, which marked another leg in a journey that began in 2021 when she left Afghanistan.
“In 2021, when the Taliban moved into my country, I escaped my country because I wanted to follow my dream,” she said. “I want to show the Afghanistan women in the world that ... we can have an opportunity.”
Hashimi talked about having many dreams for women in Afghanistan, dreams for herself and dreams that may take time to be realized.
“I’m really, really happy and I’m full of emotion. I don’t know how I can explain it for you,” she said.
“I hope one day I come back in my country and ride the streets of Kabul — and riding with the women side by side to share the same passion," she explained.
“And I hope in the future changing some things,” she added. “I think we are really tired of the situation of our country and I hope the Taliban is watching. I know how much one woman can be powerful and that's why Taliban is scared (of) women.”
SNTV video journalist Raj Mohan contributed to this report.
See full AP coverage of Asian sports here
In this image made from video, Afghanistan's Fariba Hashimi, who won the Silver Medal for Women's Road Race, speaks with the Associated Press in Shinshiro, Japan, Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2026. (SNTV via AP)
In this image made from video, Afghanistan's Fariba Hashim displays the silver medal she won for Women's Road Race, in Shinshiro, Japan, Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2026. (SNTV via AP)
LAKE FOREST, Ill. (AP) — It looks as if Case Keenum is going to start at quarterback for the Chicago Bears on Monday night against Philadelphia. Tyson Bagent and Caleb Williams are two more possibilities, depending on their health.
When it comes to the QBs for the Bears, very little is certain at the moment.
The 38-year-old Keenum practiced on Wednesday as Chicago ramped up its preparation for its matchup with Philadelphia. Keenum hasn't played in a regular-season game since Dec. 24, 2023, but at least he is healthy right now.
“We feel really good about whoever ends up playing for us and that showed in the preseason, shows up in practice every single day,” coach Ben Johnson said. “So we’re at a point right now, not sure who the starter is going to be on Monday night. We’ll let this thing play out and we’ll go from there.”
Williams left Sunday’s 9-3 loss to Minnesota with a right hamstring injury after he got hurt on a scramble midway through the fourth quarter. The No. 1 pick in the 2024 draft hasn't been ruled out for the contest against the Eagles, but mobility is a big part of his game and cautious is the most likely approach for Chicago when it comes to the franchise's biggest star.
Bagent, 26, was 5 for 9 for 54 yards after he replaced Williams against the Vikings. He was sacked by Dallas Turner on the final play of the game.
Bagent was in line to make his fifth career start. But Johnson got a text message on Tuesday morning that Bagent was going to get evaluated for concussion symptoms and he had been placed in the concussion protocol.
The timeline for his return is unclear.
“Honestly I’m not even in that,” Johnson said. “They’ll let me know when he’s available."
Chicago, which opened the season with a 59-37 win at Carolina, also has rookie Miller Moss on its practice squad. The team has no plans to add another quarterback this week.
Johnson said he is looking at the uncertainty as an “opportunity.”
“I think our guys see it as that as well,” he said. “One of those things that everyone outside the building I am sure is writing us off and telling us it can’t be done and we really relish that. And so guys will step up to the plate, guys that maybe we don’t anticipate or expect. We have a really talented team.”
See AP’s full NFL coverage here
Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams (18) lies on the field during the second half of an NFL football game against the Minnesota Vikings in Chicago, Sunday, Sept. 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
Chicago Bears quarterback Tyson Bagent (17) stands back to pass during the second half of an NFL football game in Chicago Minnesota Vikings, Sunday, Sept. 20, 2026. (AP Photo/David Banks)
