Norwegian sports circles and commentators expressed their displeasure on Tuesday with the fine imposed by European sports authorities on beach handball players who defied regulations by forgoing bikini play.
On Monday, the European Handball Federation (EHF) Disciplinary Committee imposed a fine of 1,500 euros on the Norwegian team, or 150 euros per player, for violating international rules.
style? The Scandinavians were wearing shorts instead of the organizational bikini when they met, and lost, to Spain for the bronze medal at the European Beach Handball Championships on Sunday in Varna (Bulgaria).
“Such a masculine vision of women belongs to another era,” a Norwegian regional newspaper said in an editorial on Tuesday.
“In 2021, it should not be a topic,” the head of the Norwegian Volleyball Federation, Eric Sordl, added to the NTB national agency.
The issue of clothing has stirred up excitement in beach sports circles for years, with bikini players deemed offensive or impractical.
If the wearing of bikinis is no longer mandatory for beach volleyball players since 2012, then the regulations of the International Handball Federation state that “players must wear bikini bottoms (…) modified and engraved”.
“The width of the sides should be 10 cm at most,” the note states.
Norway’s Culture Minister Abed Raja, in charge of sports, protested on Monday against the fine.
“It’s absolutely ridiculous,” he wrote on Twitter. Bug, that changes in attitude are necessary in the masculine and conservative world of sport.
Prior to the European Championship, Norway contacted the European Union to request permission to play in the shorts, but was only told that violations of the regulations are punishable by a fine.
After complying with the rules for most of the tournament, the Norwegians decided to play their last game of the tournament.
While it is “committed to developing this topic for the benefit of its member federations,” the EU argued that “a change of rules can only happen at the IHF (International Federation, editor’s note) level.”
