A university in London has become the first to roll out its own sports hijab for female Muslim students.

Brunel University, which is only one of four in the UK to offer a free sports programme, spotted a gap in the number of women taking part – and in particular those wearing hijabs.

A 2017 study by Sport England found that just 18 per cent of Muslim women participate in regular sport, against 30 per cent of the UK’s female population as a whole.

Traditionally the hijab, which covers the wearer’s hair and neck, is made from cotton which can quickly become hot, sodden with sweat and uncomfortable when used for sport.

But Brunel’s has been made from materials specifically designed to keep the wearer cool while also respecting their religious beliefs.

Life in a Rohingya camp: how Muslim women and girls protect their skin Show all 18 1 /18 Life in a Rohingya camp: how Muslim women and girls protect their skin Life in a Rohingya camp: how Muslim women and girls protect their skin A Rohingya refugee girl named Rumana, aged 10, poses for a photograph as she wears thanaka paste at Kutupalong camp in Cox's Bazaar, Bangladesh Reuters Life in a Rohingya camp: how Muslim women and girls protect their skin Thanaka, a type of sun protection that dates back centuries, is a common sight on the faces of the women, who say the use of the traditional cooling paste helps bring a sense of normality to their difficult lives in the camps Reuters Life in a Rohingya camp: how Muslim women and girls protect their skin Swirls of yellow paste made from ground tree bark decorate the cheeks of Rohingya Muslim women and girls in the refugee camps of southern Bangladesh Reuters Life in a Rohingya camp: how Muslim women and girls protect their skin Shamima, aged 10 Reuters Life in a Rohingya camp: how Muslim women and girls protect their skin "The make-up is my hobby, and it's our tradition," said Juhara Begum, 13, who arrived in Cox's Bazar in September last year after fleeing a military attack on her village in Myanmar's Rakhine state. "The military fired guns and slaughtered us," said Juhara, who had to walk for five days to reach the border. Now, she lives on a hilltop in the crowded refugee camp of Jamtoli. "I live on top of the hill and it is too hot with the strong sun," said Juhara, who wore the protective paste on her face. Reuters Life in a Rohingya camp: how Muslim women and girls protect their skin The refugees who believe the use of the paste keeps their skin smooth and cool, safe from exposure to the sun, and fends off acne Reuters Life in a Rohingya camp: how Muslim women and girls protect their skin Sakila Begum, aged 15 Reuters Life in a Rohingya camp: how Muslim women and girls protect their skin A Rohingya refugee child with thanaka paste is seen in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, July 4, 2018. REUTERS/Mohammad Ponir Hossain TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY MOHAMMAD PONIR HOSSAIN Photos Reuters Life in a Rohingya camp: how Muslim women and girls protect their skin Zannat Ara, a nine-year-old Rohingya girl, said the paste protected her against the swarms of insects in the Kutupalong refugee camp where she now lives. "I wear make-up to keep my face clean and there are some insects that bite my face and this keeps them away, so this protects me," she said. Reuters Life in a Rohingya camp: how Muslim women and girls protect their skin Dil Kayas, aged 10 Reuters Life in a Rohingya camp: how Muslim women and girls protect their skin Thanaka is produced from the bark of a tree found in the dry central parts of Myanmar. A flat stone called a kyauk pyin is used to grind the bark into a milky yellow paste. Reuters Life in a Rohingya camp: how Muslim women and girls protect their skin The paste is applied to the face in various patterns and dries into a protective layer. While it is used medicinally elsewhere in Asia, women in Myanmar also use it as a cosmetic. Reuters Life in a Rohingya camp: how Muslim women and girls protect their skin Rozia, aged 10 Reuters Life in a Rohingya camp: how Muslim women and girls protect their skin Rohingya girls and women use traditional methods to make the paste from thanaka tree bark which is sold in the camps. Reuters Life in a Rohingya camp: how Muslim women and girls protect their skin Rufia Begum, aged 9 Reuters Life in a Rohingya camp: how Muslim women and girls protect their skin Romzida, aged 8 Reuters Life in a Rohingya camp: how Muslim women and girls protect their skin Zinu Ara, aged 4 Reuters Life in a Rohingya camp: how Muslim women and girls protect their skin Amina Reuters

Faith Al Saad, a business management student at the university, said she was “100 per cent confident” the hijab would encourage more of her peers to get into sport.

“It’s great; really lightweight, really easy to wear, really comfortable – it feels like you’re wearing nothing on your head which is amazing, especially when doing sports,” said the keen gym-goer.

“The traditional hijab is basically a cloth you wrap around your head and then pin down. You can’t really run in it, it’ll literally fly off. The pins come out and it falls off – it’s not comfortable.

President of the Union of Brunel Students Ranjeet Rathore with hijabi members of Team Brunel. (Brunel University)

“Wearing the sports hijab makes it ten times easier, and I genuinely think it’s a lifesaver.”

Some sports giants already have their own hijabs on the market, however at £15 Brunel’s is about 40 per cent cheaper than the one Nike launched in 2017.

The hijab will initially only be available in “Brunel blue” and in two sizes but it is hoped there will be a wider range of colours if it takes off.

Ranjeet Rathore, president of the Union of Brunel Students, has been a driving force behind the hijab.

“When we narrowed it down, we found the main gap to be in BAME female sports participation – specifically, we found there to be a barrier to Muslim women taking part in team sport,” he said.

“Of course, they were participating in sports on their own and in private, but they weren’t really going out to competitions, or using sport as a social tool to get involved in activities.