European Handball Federation (EHF) issued a statement on Monday regarding fines for the Norwegian women’s beach-handball squad for not wearing bikini bottoms. In a statement released on Sunday, it had been claimed that ‘the Norwegian team’s shorts were not in compliance with the Athlete Uniform Regulations during Sunday’s bronze medal game against Spain’.
The Disciplinary Commission fined each player €150, for a total of €1,500. The amounts are about $177 and $1,770, respectively. In order to compete at the tournament in Varna, Bulgaria, from July 13 to 18, players had to follow the clothing specifications outlined in the beach-handball rule book of the International Handball Federation.
According to the rules, ‘women must wear a bikini with a tight-fitting sports bra with deep arm openings and a bottom that is no longer than ten centimeters on both sides’. Norway wore shorts in the bronze-medal match on Sunday, where it finished in fourth place after losing to Spain. On Sunday, Germany defeated Denmark to win the women’s European title.
As for men’s uniforms, the regulations stipulate that participants must wear ‘tight-fitting tank tops’ and long shorts ‘that are not too baggy’ but “should be 10 centimeters above the kneecap’. According to Haltvik, the decision to ignore the warnings and wear shorts was very spontaneous and they felt threatened by the regulations. She hoped the statement affected other teams who feel uncomfortable with their uniforms but cannot accept fines.
‘People cheered us on for taking the brunt of the fine in front of several teams. Not all teams can afford such a fine,’ she said. As for clothing, she said handball was meant to be inclusive and not exclusive. Kare Geir Lio, president of the Norwegian Handball Federation, told NRK that his organization has been urging changes to the regulations for ‘several years’, according to the Herald Sun.
‘It has been several years since we contacted them and worked on this. We raised it at the congress and were promised it would be sorted out. However, nothing has happened,’ he said. French national team coach Valérie Nicolas has publicly supported Norway’s stance. ‘Money and fines should not be part of the discussion,’ she told the Norwegian newspaper Verdens Gang.
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‘To create change, nations must stand together. And we are standing together now. We have lost players due to the suits. The players tell me they feel naked and watched. It is a sport with a lot of movement, and the bikinis interfere. Religion and menstruation are also uncomfortable topics’. Nicolas said. The European Handball Federation did not immediately respond to Insider’s inquiry.
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