The Norwegian women’s beach women handball team has been fined after players opted to wear shorts instead of bikini bottoms during a European Championship Game.
The European Handball Federation (EHF) said on Monday, that it had imposed a fine of 1500 euros-150 euros for each player on the team for “improper clothing” in the bronze medal game against spain on Sunday.
According to International Handball Federaton regulations, female athletes must wear bikini bottoms with a side width of maximum of 10 centimeters with a close fit and cut on upward angle toward the top of the leg.
Mean while men must wear shorts that are not too baggy and 10 centimeters above the kneecap.
The team’s coach Eskil Berg Andreassen told that “The team knew there would be a fine because they had been fighting for the right to wear alternatives to bikini bottoms for several years. He said, the Norwegian team want women to be able to wear what they want.
He also further added that the IHF’s uniform regulations could be discouraging women who do not want to wear bikini briefs, including those from majority Muslim countries.
We see in Beach Handball that girls from Arabic countries do very well- Oman , Kuwait, Pakistan. But we never see an Arabic women’s team, they are not playing Beach Handball, he said.
ENOUGH IS ENOUGH
The Norwegian Handball Association said on Twitter ” We are very proud of these girls who raised their voice and said ENOUGH IS ENOUGH. We at NHF stand behind you and support you.
In a joint statement EHF and IHF said ” The topic of female uniforms had already been discussed at the EHF congress in April 2021 and the matter will be dealt with by the newly elected Beach Handball Commision in August”.