First women's bike race diversifies sport in Syria
A group of women has established the first cycling organization in northeastern Syria and held its first bike race in the city of Amuda, all part of an effort to encourage women to ride bicycles and promote green transportation.
A group of female journalists and activists in the city of Qamishli, in northeastern Syria, are behind an initiative called “I Want a Bike” that strives to overcome traditions and taboos that prohibit women from riding bicycles and motorcycles as well as encourage reliance on bicycles and reduce pollution.
I Want a Bike has received broad acclaim among local women.
Midia Ghanem, a 28-year-old reporter for a local newspaper called Ronahi, first thought of the idea. In cooperation with the Sports Federation affiliated with the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria, she put on the first women's cycling race on Jan. 16, the first such race in the area.
Ghanem told Al-Monitor that about 30 participants competed in in the town of Amuda, west of Qamishli. She said, “It took a lot of time and effort to prepare for the competition and I trained the competitors for two months.”
