Naomi Osaka Invests In US Women's Football Club

Naomi Osaka (Photo: Antara)

JAKARTA - Tennis player with three Grand Slam titles, Naomi Osaka, invested in the women's soccer club North Carolina Courage. This was announced by the clubs competing in the United States Women's Football League (NWSL) on Thursday.

"I am delighted to welcome Naomi as the owner of North Carolina Courage," said Courage Chairman Malik, quoted by the club's official website.

"Naomi represents the values we strive for at this club and she brings an invaluable perspective beyond the sporting aspect to this team," he added.

In May 2020, Naomi was named by Forbes Magazine as the highest-paid female athlete when she passed her idol, Serena Williams, with a total income of US $ 37.4 million (approximately Rp.525.9 billion) based on prize money and sponsorship contracts in 12 months.

The 23-year-old player of Haitian and Japanese descent became the first Asian to top the world women's list and the first Japanese to win a Grand Slam level tournament.

"The women who invest in my growth are the ones who contributed to what I did today. I can't predict where I would be if they weren't around," said Naomi.

"My investment in North Carolina Courage is not just a matter of being a team owner, but an investment in women who are role models and leaders in their area as well as inspiration for young female athletes," he added.

Courage is a team that was born in 2017 after Malik bought the rights to the Western New York Flash franchise a year earlier.

The team, which is based at Sahlen's Stadium, won two consecutive seasons in 2018 and 2019, and is considered the defending champion because the 2020 NWSL season was terminated due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

NWSL 2021 will kick off with a pre-season trophy event in April before the regular phase starts in May.