•"... particularly ones that I would have wanted to see when I was a kid. I always wanted to kind of see someone like me," she said.
•James and Maverick Carter's The SpringHill Company will serve as financing, operations and producing partner for Hana Kuma, New York Times reported.
Image: FILE
The name of a newly launched media company owned by Japanese tennis player Naomi Osaka has caused a stir in Kenya.
Osaka launched the new media company, Hana Kuma, in partnership with four-time NBA champion LeBron James.
She aims at telling stories that cross-cultural barriers, the former world number one announced on Tuesday.
According to her, Hana Kuma, means "flower bear," which will produce stories that are "culturally specific but universal to all audiences" and already has multiple projects lined up.
However, the name Hana Kuma has been trending in Kenya pricking the curiosity of an ordinary person why that Swahili name is trending.
And while the name sounds intriguing in Japanese dialects, in Swahili it has a totally different meaning that is not pleasant at all.
In Swahili, Hana Kuma - means the person has no Virgina.
Here are some reactions from Kenyans;
Woke up to Hana Kuma trending, only to realize it is a media station started by tennis star Naomi Osaka... 😆😆😆. And it is Kenyans who have taken it their global responsibility to spread the world and loudly wonder about it. 😆
— Juma G 🇰🇪 (@jumaf3) June 22, 2022
My heart goes out to all Kenyan youths who will have the task of convincing their parents “hana Kuma" is also a brand name for a media company😭😂 pic.twitter.com/MoWECziq4J
— Wahito (@Wahito_1) June 21, 2022
I’m so happy for the moves Naomi is making while she recovers from the achilles injury but the name of her new media business will get Swahili speakers choking on food or drink 🫣🫣🫣
— Victoria Uwonkunda (@Msuwonkunda) June 21, 2022
Hana Kuma has a whole other spicy meaning in Swahili 😅. Jesu Cristo. Let KoT not catch this 😂 https://t.co/6fLlRPX2ya
200 million Swahili speakers ok with Naomi Osaka using "Hana Kuma" should be a reminder to everyone coming at Lizzo that language is specific yet universal. We might use the same words but they have different meanings in our respective contexts
— #WhatsTrending (@MX_Chychi) June 22, 2022
The most spoken African language in the world is Swahili with over 300 million people speaking it as an L1, L2 or L3 (first, second or third language).
— DJ KROWBAR (@DJKrowbar) June 22, 2022
Naomi Osaka’s new company Hana Kuma is trending in about 9 African countries for all the wrong reasons.
What is that trending at number one in Kenya..😂😂😂😂
— Kinoti wa Mwirigi (@MwirigiKibaki) June 22, 2022
I had to click to see what that HANA KUMA means...😂😂😂
Osaka told the New York Times that what excites her is being able to inspire people and tell new stories.
"... particularly ones that I would have wanted to see when I was a kid. I always wanted to kind of see someone like me," she said.
James and Maverick Carter's The SpringHill Company will serve as financing, operations and producing partner for Hana Kuma, New York Times reported.