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Women fined $2409 for wearing shorts instead of bikini bottoms during beach handball game at European Championships

The Norwegian beach handball team has been fined for wearing shorts instead of bikini bottoms at the European Championships.

Andrew McMurtry and AFP
4 min read
July 21, 2021 - 2:12PM
The image that kicked off the firestorm.
The image that kicked off the firestorm.

Norway’s women’s beach handball team has been fined for wearing shorts instead of bikini bottoms during a weekend game in a decision that been described as “ridiculous”.

The European Handball Federal (EHF) handed down a ruling over the “improper clothing” in Norway’s game on Sunday against Spain, saying the shorts the women wore were not in accordance with the athlete uniform regulations.

The Disciplinary Commission decided to impose a fine of €150 ($AU240) per player, for a total of €1500 ($AU2409).

The decision sparked criticism from Norway officials, who have pointed out the uniform requirements for women were not practical.

“In 2021, it shouldn’t even be an issue,” Norwegian Volleyball Federation president Eirik Sordahl, told national news agency NTB.

While bikinis have not been compulsory for beach volleyball players since 2012, International Handball Federation (IHF) rules state “female athletes must wear bikini bottoms” and that these must have “a close fit”, be “cut on an upward angle toward the top of the leg” and a side depth of no more than 10 centimetres.

In contrast, male players wear shorts.

“It’s completely ridiculous,” Norway’s Minister for Culture and Sports, Abid Raja, tweeted after Monday’s ruling.

“What a change of attitude is needed in the macho and conservative international world of sport.”

Ahead of the tournament, Norway asked the EHF for permission to play in shorts, but were told that breaches of the rules were punishable by fines. They complied, until their last match.

“The EHF is committed to bring this topic forward in the interest of its member federations, however it must also be said that a change of the rules can only happen at IHF level,” EHF spokesman Andrew Barringer said in an email.

Clothing has long been an issue in beach sports, with some women players finding bikinis degrading or impractical.

While the world of European handball, let alone beach handball might be foreign to most Australians, it is one of the more popular sports in Europe.

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In fact, in the 13 Olympics to have featured handball, other than South Korea’s one silver medal in the mens and two gold, three silver and a bronze in the women's, all the medals have gone to European nations or unified Olympic teams comprised mostly of European nations.

Beach handball is a relatively new sport with the first European Championships held in 2000 and the official rules only codified in 2002.

A social media post kicked off the storm around the bikini rule alleging the organisers would fine the players for “anything covering more than 10cm of their butts”.

The Norwegian Handball Association (NHF) had reportedly been pushing for a change to the uniform regulations requiring sports bras and bikini bottoms and planned to protest with the thigh length tights.

The regulation reads: “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 ten centimetres on the sides.”

The tweet continued to say “these bottoms make them feel unnecessarily sexualised + uncomfortable when they have their periods and the likes”.

Tennis legend Martina Navratilova shared the original tweet, stating “That is just ridiculous”.

Dubbed the “panties crisis” by Norwegian commentator Leif Welhaven, Norway’s team captain told Norwegian broadcaster NRK the team felt forced into bikini bottoms.

“So then we are forced to play with panties. It is so embarrassing,” she reportedly said.

“First we were told about a fine of 50 euros ($A80) per person per match, something that would have landed us a fine of about 4,850 euros ($A7760). We accepted that. However, just before the match we were told that we will be disqualified if we play like that. So we had to go with the bikini bottoms.”

The European Handball Federation defended itself saying that disqualification was never an option and that a commission would look at changes in the law and present a proposal.

But the president of the Norwegian Handball Federation Kare Geir Lio slammed the reaction to the protest.

“It’s so – we are happy to pay the fine if that was what it was about,” Lio told NHK.

“We have contacted them and worked for this for several years. We have raised it at the Congress and we have been promised that this will be sorted out. Still, nothing happens.

“It’s just sad for the ladies to have to deal with this.”

Lio said that Sweden, Denmark, France and Norway would collaborate in a letter to bring about the regulatory change.

French team manager Valerie Nicolas backed Norway’s stance and said nations should stand together the create change.

“We have lost players due to the suits,” she told newspaper Verdens Gang. “The players tell me they are uncomfortable, feel naked, and watched. It is a sport with a lot of movement and you are hindered by the bikini. There is also discomfort associated with menstruation and not least religion.”

The Norwegian team took their protest to the third-place playoff.
The Norwegian team took their protest to the third-place playoff.

Norway ended up topping its group but stumbling in the semi-finals before finishing fourth after losing to Spain in the bronze medal match.

But the team sent a message by wearing the tights in the bronze medal match.

The tournament was ultimately won by Germany, who defeated Denmark in the tournament final.

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Original URL: https://www.news.com.au/sport/more-sports/bikini-drama-overshadows-beach-handball-european-championships/news-story/0f3710004fc48453799032733b79fb0b