The Afghan team was even awarded a commendation prize for persisting in the face of difficulty.
Ivanka Trump, the US president's daughter, congratulated all the competitors for participating.
“Each and every one of you is a winner and I am so inspired by what you’re doing and how you’re advancing the role, in this case of women and girls in STEM fields and in robotics," she said.
The six students from Herat in west Afghanistan took part in the First Global robotics challenge, but their passage to the competition wasn't smooth.
Every year, all nations are extended an invitation for the three-day competition.
The Afghan team were initially selected from a pool of 150 applicants and assisted by Afghanistan’s first female tech CEO Roya Mahboob.
But their joy was short-lived after they were each rejected for a one-week US travel visa to attend the event in Washington.
They were denied after twice making the dangerous 800km journey to the American Embassy in Kabul.
Their fortunes changed a week before the competition after they were given the all-clear to enter the US when President Donald Trump intervened.
According to the , an estimated 60 teams from a number of Muslim-majority nations faced similar challenges due to tighter visa policies that have been implemented under the Trump administration.
While some of their fellow competitors worked on their robots for up to four months, the team built their robot in two weeks, due to delayed shipments.
In the first round, Lida Azizi, 15, controlled the Afghan robot named 'Better Idea of Afghan Girls', leading the team to 69th place out of around 160 teams.
The team didn't go home empty-handed, winning a silver medal in the 'courageous achievement' category behind a team from South Sudan.
This award recognised teams that showed a ‘can-do’ attitude when facing unanticipated adversity.
The girls planned to celebrate with their families and continue their work when they return home.
