Monday, July 26th 2021
After the bikini scandal at the EM
Pink wants to take over punishment for beach handball players
At the beach handball EM there is a scandal. The European Handball Federation fined the Norwegians. They refused to wear short bikini bottoms. The US singer Pink jumps to the side of the athletes and charges the handball association. She says, “This is sexism!”
US singer Pink wants to support the Norwegian beach handball players in their fight against sexism. And not just morally. After discussing the length of her sports pants and the fine, Pink said she would be happy to accept the fine the federation had imposed on the team and pay the fine. “I am very proud of the Norwegian beach handball players who protest against the very sexist rules on their ‘uniform'”, wrote the 41-year-old on Twitter. He added: “The European handball federation should have to pay a fine for sexism.” She called to the Norwegians: “Well done, ladies. Keep up the good work!”
According to the Norwegian federation, the penalty that the athletes received for wearing shorts at the European Championship by the European Handball Federation (EHF) is 15,000 kroner (1440 euros).
There have already been several offers to take over the sum, said the President of the Norwegian Association, Kare Geir Lio. However, you want to raise it out of your own pocket.
The players urge a free choice of playing attire “within a standardized framework”. Many find the currently prescribed bikinis impractical or even humiliating. The world association IHF stipulates that men must wear shorts during their beach handball games that end “at least ten centimeters” above the knee. Players have to wear bikini bottoms that are tight-fitting and have a side width of “a maximum of ten centimeters”.
“Inappropriate clothing”
In the duel for third place with Spain, the Norwegians did not wear the required bikini panties, but rather longer sports pants. The Disciplinary Commission of the European Handball Federation (EHF) assessed this as a “case of inappropriate clothing”.
The change to the slightly longer pants was a “spontaneous action”, reported national player Katinka Haltvik to the public broadcaster NRK. The broadcaster had reported that the selection had already applied for not having to play in bikini panties before the first game. The umbrella organization rejected that.
As a penalty, a fine of 50 euros per person and game was initially announced. The sum would have been 4850 euros, which the Norwegian association would have been willing to pay. But then, before the opening game, according to Haltvik, it was suddenly said that the team would be disqualified if they compete in shorts. So the team gave in because they wanted to play. But then sent the signal to the EHF in the “small final” for third place. It wasn’t enough to win a medal, the game ended 2-0 for Spain.
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