Toronto Raptors have released team-branded Nike Pro Hijabs

The NBA champions are the first to sell a branded hijab

The Toronto Raptors branded Nike Pro hijab features the claw of a Raptor on one side and the Nike tick on the other side. Courtesy Nike 
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The NBA champion Toronto Raptors and sportswear brand Nike have collaborated, with the help of a local community group, the Hijabi Ballers, to unveil the first team-branded Nike Pro Hijab. The hijab features a Raptors claw on one side and the famous Nike tick on the other.

The reveal of the hijab was accompanied by a video. In it, Muslim women are playing basketball with one woman commenting: “Growing up, I didn’t have so many role models that looked like me.”

"It's about Muslim females not having to give up their identity or feeling like they have to sacrifice some portion of their identity, but also still play whatever sport they want."

The women in the video are members of Hijabi Ballers, a Toronto-area athletic club for Muslim girls and women.

"We're excited and humbled to partner with none other than the 2019 NBA Champions @raptors to present our mandate to the world – celebrating and increasing opportunities for Muslim girls and women in sport – as they launch the new Toronto Raptors @Nike Pro Hijab!" the club said on Instagram.

The Raptors hijab costs $40 (Dh147), it is currently only available to buy in store at the Real Sports Apparel. It is not yet available on line. The classic Nike Pro Hijab is available to buy on Nike's UAE store for Dh99 or on Namshi for Dh105.

The Nike Pro Hijab, which was released in December 2017, has seen significant interest in the lightweight head-piece. It was recently announced as one of the most searched for clothing terms in the world.

Nike spent years working on the Pro Hijab alongside a host of Muslim female athletes including American fencer Ibtihaj Muhammad, Emirati figure skater Zahra Lari, and UAE weightlifter Amna Al Haddad, who provided the brand with feedback on its prototypes.

“You have no idea how important this is,” Al Haddad said at the time. “It's going to inspire girls worldwide to follow their passion for sports."