Bikini-style uniforms will no longer be compulsory for female beach handball players following protests from European players and lawmakers.
The sports governing body’s new regulations follow a campaign launched by the Norwegian national team in July and now allow women to wear “short, fitted shorts” instead of bikinis.
The Norwegian federation was fined because the players wore “inappropriate clothes” at the European Championship in July. They had put on shorts to protest the bikini rule.
The rules for team handball ahead of the Tokyo Olympics seemed at odds with an IOC directive to tackle overly sexualized images of female athletes.
There is still a gender gap in the equipment rules updated by the International Handball Federation (IHF).
Players are told to wear “slim fit” pants while men’s shorts can be “not too loose”.
The Switzerland-based IHF updated its rules in a document posted to its website on October 3. Days earlier, the sports ministers of Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Iceland and Finland had urged the IHF and other international sports to let athletes “be dressed in such a way. which is suitable for performance and comfort. “
Pop singer Pink supported the Norwegians and offered to pay the fine of 1,500 euros (C $ 2,150), saying she was “very proud” of the team for challenging the settlement.
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