Finland's football association donates sport hijabs to players
- Published
The hijab is worn by many Muslim women
Finland's football association is donating sport hijabs to every female player in the country who wants one.
The move is part of a series of initiatives marking 50 years of organised women's football in Finland.
It is intended to promote equality in the sport, said Heidi Pihlaja, the Football Association of Finland's head of women's football development.
"By donating hijabs, we want to show our dedication to making football accessible to everyone," Pihlaja said.
"We know that there is still a lot to be done as Finland is becoming an ever-more diverse society.
"For us, equality is about accepting everyone as they are regardless of their religious beliefs, colour of their skin or other attributes and identities.
"We hope that us leading by example encourages other sports and football associations to join us in promoting equality and equity in sports."