Sports hijabs pushing Muslim women athletes to new heights by merging tech with tradition
- Sports hijabs today, such as those from Singaporean brand Glowco, use tech that makes them airy, lightweight, sweat-wicking and so that they don’t come untucked
- The market is also extending beyond sportswear with labels like Malaysia’s Duck and Hana Tajima’s collaboration with Uniqlo
When you have to swim 3.8km (2.4 miles), cycle 180km and run a full marathon – all in succession – you dress as lightly as you can.
Many elite athletes wear triathlon suits and very little else for races like the Ironman Triathlon. But for Nur Syahariah Jusoh, known as Nursya, her Muslim beliefs require her to wear a hijab. So that’s what she did when she entered the race last year, which lasted 14 hours in searing hot weather in Langkawi, Malaysia.
It was no problem for the 43-year-old mother, who not only crossed the finish line, but was crowned the fastest Malaysian female participant in the race.
Her success is at least partly down to the new generation of sports hijabs that make activities like triathlons considerably more comfortable affairs than traditional versions of the garment do.
When Nursya first started running in 2013, aside from her usual running clothes she wore only a scarf to cover her hair. She kept her neck and chest uncovered, for fear of overheating. It was only in 2018, with better options available, that she switched to a full hijab covering her head, neck and chest.