Afghan girl takes up motocross and champions women's rights

Negin Afshar, 16, one of the motocross racers, prepares herself before an exercise in Kabul, Afghanistan July 23, 2020. REUTERS/Omar Sobhani

KABUL (Reuters) - For 16-year-old Negin Afshar, riding a motorbike around a dirt track in Kabul isn't just about the excitement. It is also a way to show that Afghan women can be tough too in a country where concerns are growing that hard-earned rights might be lost.

Encouraged by her parents, Afshar took up motocross about a year ago after having competed for Afghanistan in athletics when she was younger.