Page 19 - aruba-today-20170308

SPORTS A19
Wednesday 8 March 2017

Nike unveils hijab for Muslim athletes

ANNE M. PETERSON ter Olympics next year in during a FIFA event. Soc- In this undated image provided by Nike, figure skater Zahra Lari
AP Sports Writer Pyeongchang, South Ko- cer’s international govern- model wears Nike’s new hijab for Muslim female athletes.
BEAVERTON, Ore. (AP) - rea, posted photos of her- ing body formally lifted a
Nike has unveiled a hijab self wearing the hijab on ban on head coverings in Associated Press
for Muslim female athletes. her Instagram page. Lari is 2014, recognizing Muslim
The Nike Pro Hijab has been from Abu Dhabi and repre- and Sikh players.
in development for a year, sents the United Arab Emir- Meanwhile, the govern-
the company said. Athletes ates. ing body for basketball,
contributed input into the “Can’t believe this is finally FIBA, has come under
product, and figure skat- here!!” she wrote. fire for banning heads-
er Zahra Lari was among Last summer, fencer Ibti- carves during international
those who tested it. haj Muhammad of New competition.q
The pull-on hijab is made of York became the first Mus-
light, stretchy fabric that in- lim American woman to
cludes tiny holes for breath- compete for the United
ability and an elongated States wearing a hijab at
back so it will not come un- the Olympics. She earned
tucked. It will come in three a bronze medal at the Rio
colors: black, vast grey and Games.
obsidian. Beaverton-based The U-17 Women’s World
Nike says the hijab will be Cup last October in Jordan
available for sale next year. marked the first time Muslim
Lari, a hopeful for the Win- players wore headscarves

Ochoa

Continued from page 17

The 35-year-old Ochoa retired in 2010 when she
was No. 1 in the world. She recently had mar-
ried and wanted to start a family and work on
her foundation. She last competed against LPGA
Tour competition at the 2012 Lorena Ochoa Invi-
tational.
Because she did not have 10 full years on the
LPGA Tour, she was not eligible for the LPGA Hall
of Fame. Because of a change in the voting pro-
cess for the World Golf Hall of Fame — it is now
done by a committee instead of large panel that
included golf writers — Ochoa was selected for
induction this year.
Ochoa compiled her 27 LPGA Tour victories
in a six-year span in which she rose to No. 1 in
women’s golf. She also won two majors — the
2007 Women’s British Open the first time it was
held at St. Andrews, and the 2008 Kraft Nabisco
Championship.q