SHORTS & SWEET
Gals nix bikinis – and get fined
They weren’t cheeky enough.
The Norwegian women’s handball team was fined for “improper clothing” at the EuBeach ropean Handball Championships — because they wore shorts instead of bikini bottoms, it was revealed Tuesday.
The sport’s governing European Handball Federation confirmed a $1,770 fine — $177 per player — for the sartorial transgres Independent sion, the reported. According to the rules set by the International Handball Federation, women are required to wear bikini bottoms when they are competing. “The Disciplinary Commission at the Beach Handball EURO 2021 has dealt with a case of improper clothing,” the governing body said in a statement.
“In the bronze-medal game against Spain on Sunday, the team of Norway played with shorts that are not according to the Athlete Uniform Regulations dethe fined in IHF Beach Handball Rules of the Game,” it added.
Norway’s Handball Federation announced it would pay the fine for their players — and also backed the athletes in a post on the team’s Instagram page.
“We are very proud of these girls who are at the European Championships in beach handball,” it said in a statement. “They raised their voice and told us that enough is enough.
“We are the Norwegian Handball Federation, and we stand behind you and support you. We will continue to fight to change the international regulations for attire so that players can play in the clothing they are comfortable with,” it added.
The bikini issue has been debated in beachsports circles for years as some players find wearing them degrading or simply impractical. The International Volleyball Federation updated its own rules in 2012, and athletes competing in the sport at this month’s Olympics in Tokyo can choose to play in bikinis or one-piece bathing suits or shorts and T-shirts.
The Norwegian Handball Federation has been campaigning to change the IHF uniform rules since at least 2006, according to reports. The rules state that “women should wear a bikini where the top should be a tight-fitting sports bra with deep openings at the arms. The bottom must not be more than 10 centimeters on the sides.”
Norway’s Katinka Haltvik told NRK that the decision to wear shorts instead of bikini bottoms was “very spontaneous.”
“People cheered on us for going in front of several teams and taking the brunt. Not all teams can afford to pay such fines,” Haltvik said. “[Handball] should be an inclusive sport, not an exclusive one.”