Four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka landed in a huge controversy after she named her new company “Hana Kuma,” know its meaning
Four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka, 24, has partnered with NBA icon LeBron James to create her new media firm, Hana Kuma. Due to its apparent Swahili connotation, it appears that the company’s name has caused an odd dispute on social media.
She did, however, provide an explanation from her perspective, and as time passes on, this debate only grows.
Hana Kuma Meaning In English Explained After Naomi Osaka And LeBron James Company Name Goes Viral
The name dispute started trending on Twitter in several African nations, with many individuals criticizing Osaka and pleading with her to rename the business that she co-owns with James.
So, let’s find out the meaning of Hana Kuma in Swahili and why Naomi uses it as her company’s name:
Hana Kuma Meaning Explained
The company’s name, which directly translates to “woman without a vagina” in Swahili, appears to have stirred up an odd dispute on social media. Unknowingly or not, Osaka’s selection of a name has brought a lot of attention to the business.
Indicating his disgust for a word, Ugandan journalist Daniel Kibet took to Twitter to tweet,
Naomi Osaka has partnered with LeBron James to start a media company called Hana Kuma. Well, this ‘Hana Kuma’ name means something different in Swahili. I won’t say it.
Lots of people called it very shameful for Naomi Osaka by indicating that she didn’t do enough research before selecting this name. As one user put it,
Did they do a global search on what the name means?
While another user tweeted,
She should have been well advised [that] it has a very vulgar meaning in Swahili which is spoken by many people.
One user wrote,
Amazing the lack of research. Lots of money but that brand won’t fly in Africa. Let it stay in America and Japan. It’s offensive. Do you even have a clue what it means? Get rid of your ego and change the name. God forgive your ignorance.
How Did Naomi Osaka React To All This?
Hana Kuma means “flower bear” in Japanese, according to the Japanese-born sports great, who revealed this to the New York Times on Tuesday, June 22.
While she hasn’t yet reacted to the trolling part, she did tweet a cryptic tweet on Wednesday night that said,
Prayers for all my overthinkers. We be going through it.
Osaka expressed her intentions for Hana Kuma to flourish as a leading Hollywood media firm that creates TV episodes, documentaries, and branded content in an interview with the Times. SpringHill, a marketing business that James co-founded, and the company were created together. According to Osaka, the business would prioritize varied storytelling.