DUBAI: Premier League football player and Egyptian icon Mohamed Salah stars in Adidas’ newest campaign alongside Qatari hurdler Mariam Farid and Egyptian runner Khadija Hegazy, who are considered to be two of the region’s leading hijab-wearing sportswomen.
The clip, titled “Running Needs Nothing But You,” encourages everyone to enjoy their personal experience of running and celebrates each of the athlete’s experience of running.
Qatari hurdler Mariam Farid in Adidas' latest campaign. (Supplied)
Commenting on his personal experience, Salah said: “Running is my personal story – it reminds me of early mornings in Egypt when I was 13, waking up at 5am to pray and run. It was around the same time I was scouted and began playing for an amateur club so running always reminds me of chasing my impossibles and running after the future I had imagined for myself.”
Aiming to change the global perception of hijabi athletes, Farid said: “Achieving your impossible is truly about believing in yourself. I believe I'm here to change how the world views hijabi athletes, so I can show the real picture of women like me or even people from the Middle East. I want to inspire a younger generation of women like me to get into sport and show the world what we can do.”
Egyptian runner Khadija Hegazy in Adidas campaign. (Supplied)
And talking about her personal experience of running, Hegazy said, “Running has become my personal time where I disconnect from everyone and everything and I feel free. Also being part of a running crew helps you to find people on the same journey as you and you make lifetime friends. The energy is super powerful, it gives me strength to go about my daily life.”
Coinciding with the launch of the mini film, Adidas also unveiled the latest member of its popular running shoe franchise — the Ultraboost Light.
