Popstar Pink offered to pay the Norwegian women’s beach handball team’s fine for not wearing bikini bottoms and showing up to a tournament wearing shorts.
The singer made a tweet in support of the girls’ protest against “sexist” rules, writing the following:
“The European handball federation SHOULD BE FINED FOR SEXISM. “I’ll be happy to pay your fines for you. Keep it up.”
The team showed up in shorts to play a game against Spain for the bronze medal at the Euro 2021 tournament on July 18 and was fined 1,500 euros ($1,766) for what the European Handball Federation referred to as “a case of improper clothing.”
I’m VERY proud of the Norwegian female beach handball team FOR PROTESTING THE VERY SEXIST RULES ABOUT THEIR “uniform”. The European handball federation SHOULD BE FINED FOR SEXISM. Good on ya, ladies. I’ll be happy to pay your fines for you. Keep it up.
— P!nk (@Pink) July 25, 2021
Meanwhile, the International Handball Federation, allows men to wear shorts that end right above the knees.
Women, however, need to wear revealing bikinis “with a close fit and cut on an upward angle toward the top of the leg.”
Tennis legend Billie Jean King also made a tweet in support of the girls saying:
“The sexualization of women athletes must stop.”
The Norwegian Women’s Beach Handball team is facing fines for wanting to wear shorts instead of bikini bottoms. The bottoms are not to cover “more than 10cm on any sides.”
The men’s team wears shorts.
The sexualization of women athletes must stop. https://t.co/IZEzbrE0Iw
— Billie Jean King (@BillieJeanKing) July 20, 2021
In an interview with NBC News, Norwegian Handball Federation President Kåre Geir Lio said the girls had petitioned for wearing shorts in tournaments.
However, the European Handball Federation had threatened them with a fine or automatic disqualification.
Eventually, the team decided to go against the rules and turned up for the games wearing short instead of bikini bottoms.
1933 Marlene Dietrich detained at a train station for violating a ban on women wearing trousers.
2021 Norwegian women's beach handball team fined for wearing shorts rather than bikini bottoms #everdaysexism alive & well 90 years on pic.twitter.com/npAHqnW9Ey
— The Women's Organisation (@TheWomensOrg) July 23, 2021
The Norwegian Handball Association made an Instagram post in support of the team.
“We will continue to fight to change the international regulations for clothing so that players can play in the clothes they are comfortable with,” they wrote.
View this post on Instagram
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