Tuesday, Mar 14, 2017

Dubai: UAE weightlifter Amna Al Haddad has defended the timing of Nike’s Pro Hijab launch.

Nike became the first major sports brand to offer Islamic clothing designed specifically for competition last week, with a new range that will hit shelves early next year.

However, critics questioned the timing of the launch, and accused the brand of cashing in.

Al Haddad, 27, who participated in last summer’s Olympics, and was part of the launch, defended such claims in a recent Facebook post to her 3,700 followers, but stated that she hadn’t been paid for her opinion.

“I do realise there is a lot of mixed reactions as to why Nike decided to create such a product ‘now’,” said the winner of six Asian interclub championship gold medals in the 63-kg category.

“From my perspective as a former athlete who competed in the hijab, in the past, the big brands didn’t see the need or market for it as it was not ‘popular’ and it was unheard of to see women train, exercise and compete in the hijab.

“It is a recent phenomenon where more women have expressed a need for it and more professional athletes have fought for rights to compete with a headscarf, and have an equal playing field. We made it big in the news, we couldn’t be ignored.

“As Muslim women, we have been vocal in the media about it — personally since 2011 — the big guys can’t help but notice us ‘the underdogs’ and our impact in the sports industry and the world. They know that we are here to stay and decided to join the party and create another ‘competitive’ sport hijab in the market, which by the way, has existed for a few years now.

“As an innovative company, they will create products and they will meet market needs, whatever they may be. It is not dismissing any other hard work done in the past to develop sport hijabs, it’s just there is more competition in the market for modest clothing now.

“I support Muslim women with or without the hijab, and how they dress is their choice. And with the Nike hijab, it will surely encourage a new generation of athletes to pursue sports professionally, and without us athletes who fought for this right and made it happen, Nike wouldn’t ‘just do it’.”

By Ashley Hammond Staff Reporter

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