Nike unveils hijab for athletes

NEW YORK (AA) – American sportswear giant Nike has announced hijabs -- Islamic headscarves -- for Muslim women athletes.

Called "Nike Pro Hijab", it sports a pull-on design made from stretchy fabric, and marketed as both breathable and opaque, an Islamic requirement.

The company said Tuesday the product took 13 months to develop and was a response to Muslim athletes’ needs.

Emirati figure skater Zahra Lari, who already wears the Pro Hijab, said in a statement she was “thrilled and a bit emotional to see Nike prototyping a hijab.

“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,” she said.

The hijab will be available in spring 2018 and will come in black, vast grey and obsidian.

Fencer Ibtihaj Muhammad became the first U.S. athlete last summer to compete in Olympics wearing a hijab.