Interview: hummel & the impact of hijab football kit

Working with the Afghan Women's National Football Team, hummel has created a women's football kit with an integrated hijab based off the traditional baselayer shirt. This innovative shirt allows Afghan females to be involved in sport and play to the best of their abilities while remaining covered. 

No one better understands the impact this innovation has had on the women of the Afghan population than former Afghan's Women National Football Team capitain, Khalida Popal, who will be speaking at the 2016 Beyond Sport Summit.  Popal will address how this intergrated sports kit has transformed women's involvement and interest in sport, as well as how it has empowered women across the Middle East. 

Beyond Sport: Why did Hummel sponsor Afghanistan’s National Women’s Football Team?

Lund: In hummel our mission is to change the world through sport. We make partnerships with teams and clubs with a story to tell, like Afghanistan. We strive to understand the needs and challenges of the Afghanistan football players and on that basis we decided to make the partnership.

On a larger scale we want to help give the Afghan people a brighter future through the beautiful game of football. In this instance, we want to show that football, as a tool, can bring awareness and empowerment to the strong men and women of Afghanistan.

Beyond Sport: Tell us about Hummel’s revolutionary football shirt with a hijab? 

Lund:We have sponsored the Afghan National Teams since 2010, and this year we introduced new football kits. Based on a good dialogue with the women’s team, they encouraged us to develop a sports hijab. So, as a unique contribution to the new kit, this now included an optional baselayer hijab as a part of the women’s kit.

The hijab is made from a lightweight, soft and stretchable fabric and offer a modern look, this makes the hijab easy and comfortable to wear while playing this tough sport.

We made it so the female players no longer would have to worry about wearing a separate headscarf while playing. We know that a regular headscarf often feels warmer and can also get in the way when you play; now, you can put on a baselayer under the jerseys and be covered.

Beyond Sport: How involved were women footballers from Afghanistan in the design of the shirt?

Lund: It was a pleasure to work together with several players from the Afghan National women team. With their input to the jersey we incorporated the Afghan mountains, special wood carving patterns and calligraphy from craftsmen in Kabul. We established a closer cooperation with the former Captain of Afghanistan Women’s National Football Team, Khalida Popal, who has worked hand in hand with hummel and Afghanistan Football Federation to develop the new football kit along with the partnership.

Beyond Sport: How has it been received? How many women are wearing it, playing football in it in Afghanistan? 

Lund: It was actually not before 2014 that FIFA allowed female players to wear a hijab in official football games, so encouraged by the Afghanistan women we started to look into how we could make a comfortable and performance oriented solution.  When we launched it, as the first company in the world, it of course got a lot of attention and good feedback.

Today, the Afghan players wear the new kit with pride in games across the globe.

We are proud that today, according to our knowledge, there are more than 10.000 active football players in Afghanistan where 2.500 are women – where for six years ago there were practically none.

Beyond Sport: What is Hummel’s ambition for women’s football in Afghanistan as the national team shirt sponsor?

Lund: In hummel we support the Afghan National team in the best way we can, and our hope is to see the love of football cascade into the streets and stadiums of the country. Giving people the opportunity to express themselves through sport is a fantastic thing, and the Afghan players certainly knows how to do that.

With the progress that we continue to witness we are sure that the number of Afghan women playing football will continue to rise. Ultimately, it would be fantastic to see the National team of Afghanistan play in the World Cup.

Beyond Sport: Hummel is shortlisted for the Best New Innovation Beyond Sport Award, what contribution do you think innovation and technology can make to sport for development?

Lund: In general, we believe that to make any purposeful products you have to start by understanding the need of people. Through a close dialogue you can then learn what to make and then use innovation and technology to solve the challenge. We work to improve sports clothing and equipment to ensure athletes a greater comfort and performance. In relation to our baselayer hijab as a part of the new Afghanistan jersey, the solution here just proved to be so much more.