Sports hijab and athletic performance - addressing key factors

Back in my netball, tennis and very active sports playing teenage days, which have since been replaced with family duties, I read an in a sports magazine about how athletes use all their senses when competing.

Watch an ATP tennis match. Pick any of the fastest servers in the league and you'll see that they hit the ball so hard that travels towards their opponent at speeds over 220km/hour!

I doubt any of their opponents can see the ball coming towards them. Perhaps all they can make out is a yellow streak. But it's so fast, it's difficult to judge with eyesight alone the direction it is going and precisely where it is going to land. Getting there before it bounces past them, is difficult.

According to the article I read, hearing the ball being hit and landing nearby, helps to judge more accurately it's direction. Hearing the THWACK of it being hit by your opponent, gives an idea of timing, of when to move. Together with eyesight, judging the ball's direction and timing it's landing is easier with teamwork of the senses.

Now for a hijabi girl, this may be problematic. Layers of fabric over the ears can affect hearing, particularly if there is more than one layer.  More denser fabrics can flaps against your ears causing distracting and annoying noises.

That day, many years ago, I thought to my teenage self, This is it!
This is what Muslim women's sportswear is all about. It's not just style, design and colours. But functionality and performance enhancement too. That day I sketched my first design. And improved on it a little at a time.

The new sports hijab Pioneer 800 range has less gathering of fabric at the neck and a longer, though compact front panel to cover small to larger chest sizes. It's a simpler design, offering comfort and modesty.

In the side-view sports hijab image above, I've edited the picture to emphasise the seams in the design. Two seams are visible, but neither cross over the ears eliminating noise caused by friction and irritation on the ears.

The Pioneer 800 range of sports hijabs, are based on the previous design of 2012, the Pioneer 700 range. However, the inner head band was removed as it added another layer over the ears getting in the way of a key factor I wanted the sports hijab to have. 

Like the 700 range, it comes in FIVE different sizes to give you the best balance between secure fit and comfort. Not to mention TEN different colours to choose from. And the fabric - it is still the same quality, moisture-wicking, quick-drying, breathable, lightweight fabric, designed for sports. All to keep you cool and dry while you play free.

*Currently retails for BWP320 or USD 37 or EURO 27 or MYR 117 or SGD46