Trailblazing 28-Year-Old Volleyball Player Breaks Stereotypes of “Wearing the Hijab” in Sports

The Fédération Internationale de Basket-ball Amateur (FIBA), had banned any headgear above five inches in size, thus banning hijabs. However, in 2017, this regulation was scrapped. There hasn’t been a ban on players wearing religious garb by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) yet. Many Muslim athletes have worn hijabs on the field because of the religious significance of the head covering in Islam. Wilda Siti Nurfadhilah Sugandi defied stereotypes by donning the hijab while playing competitive volleyball.

Wilda Siti Nurfadhilah Sugandi recently gave an interview about her experience playing volleyball while wearing a hijab on the official Olympics Twitter page. Sugandi elaborates in a good way on the significance of her ideas. The 28-year-old Indonesian Olympic player also saw a need when she tried to get a volleyball hijab but came up empty.

Normalizing the tradition in the Olympic sport of volleyball

One player on the Indonesian women’s volleyball squad is making waves at the Southeast Asian Games 2023. 28-year-old Wilda Siti Nurfadhilah Sugandi is here for her eighth competition. Her squad won bronze for the first time in 2011, and they did it again in 2013 and 2015. But the 2017 competition in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, when she guided Indonesia to its first silver medal since 1991, was a watershed point in the athlete’s career. Sugandi chose to honor her faith, which she deeply values, by wearing a hijab in court.

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In her interview with the Olympics, Sugandi discusses the prevalence of the hijab among her friends and family in Indonesia and how religion influences daily life in the country. She further talks about her beliefs regarding the practice, saying, “So wearing the hijab just happens naturally, it’s from the heart. From there it comes the desire to prove that there is nothing wrong with wearing the hijab in sports and being able to perform at a high level.” The athlete wears her hijab with respect and pride while she competes in the sports she loves.

Not only an epic sportsperson but also an influencer

Wilda Siti Nurfadhilah Sugandi made history when she wore a hijab to a volleyball game. It was novel to the spectators since it wasn’t something they often encountered in the course of sporting activities. However, the athlete’s true resolve emerges outside the field of play.

The athlete took matters into her own hands when she realized there weren’t any sports-specific hijabs available. The 28-year-old Olympic player earned her Master’s in Business degree during the COVID-19 pandemic and launched a clothing line known for its sport-specific, high-performance hijabs.

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This was a major step for any up-and-coming athlete since religious values take a negative turn in the sports world. Despite this, Wilda Siti Nurfadhilah Sugandi was able to build her own views and share them with the sports world, smashing critics in the process.