Daily Times

First came the performance hijab. Soon there will also be swimwear. Sportswear giant Nike announced on Tuesday a new line called the Victory Swim Collection, which will include a full coverage swimsuit and a swim hijab for female Muslim athletes. The line will be available globally at select retailers and online from February 1, 2020.

A company statement said the design of the Nike Victory Swim Collection serves a variety of needs from modesty preferences to sun protection. “It represents Nike’s commitment to inclusive design, providing more women with game-changing innovation to enjoy sport,” it said, as reported by CNN.

The fabric is designed to be lightweight, breathable and fast-drying with UPF40+ sun protection, Nike said.

The full coverage suit will be available along with a separate hijab, tunic top and swim leggings.

The new swim options follow Nike’s release of a performance hijab for female athletes in 2017, which features a single-layer pull-on design made from lightweight polyester in dark, neutral colours with tiny holes that make the fabric breathable and opaque. Nike said it began developing the hijab after some athletes complained about wearing a traditional head scarf during competition.

“I was thrilled and a bit emotional to see Nike prototyping a hijab,” Emirati figure skater Zahra Lari said in a statement. “I’ve tried so many different hijabs for performance and so few of them actually work for me. But once I put it on and took it for a spin on the ice, I was blown away by the fit and the light weight.”