At least 20 women cyclists from four provinces raced in the 35 km “Gawhar Shad Cup” competition in Kabul on Tuesday to mark International Women’s Day, riding from the National Olympic Committee HQ, near the Ghazi Stadium, to the Paghman district west of Kabul.

“I am a mother, but I attended this race to honor women’s sports,” said Nargis Hakimi, a member of the women’s national cycling team.

“Women’s cycling is a new thing for the people in Afghanistan. We attended this event to normalize it,” said Zhala Sarmast, another member of the women's cycling national team.

The event was held to encourage women's cycling in the country and to increase the numbers of female participants in the cycling federation, officials said, adding that the idea is to train and prepare the cyclists for national and international events.

“We prepare women by holding such events. The women attended the race to explore their abilities and to show to the world that they are capable,” said Fazel Ahmad Fazli, head of the federation.

At the end of the event, Yulduz Hashemi won first place, while Fariba and Afsana won second and third place, respectively.