(Photo: Mark Brake/Getty Images)
Naomi Osaka, tennis champion and social justice activist, continues to show her commitment to young female athletes by becoming an owner of the North Carolina Courage, a women’s professional soccer team.
The team — which boasts six trophies in the last four years — is also a part of the largest youth-to-professional soccer club in the United States.
“My investment in the North Carolina Courage is far beyond just being a team owner, it’s an investment in amazing women who are role models and leaders in their fields and inspirations to all young female athletes. I also admire everything the Courage does for diversity and equality in the community, which I greatly look forward to supporting and driving forward,” the 23-year-old Haitian-Japanese-American said in a statement.
The team’s leadership is excited to work with Osaka for reasons beyond her athleticism.
“We welcome [Naomi Osaka] to the [North Carolina Courage] as an owner aligned to social justice, equality and inclusion. Committed to winning in every way. Women investing in women,” tweeted Steve Malik, chairman of the team.
President and General Manager Curt Johnson said, “Naomi is the perfect fit as an owner because her values sync so well with our club. A team with an exemplary and trailblazing roster of world-class professional athletes supported by a globally influential icon is a seminal moment for our sport and the Courage organization.”