T-shirt and shorts instead of bra and bikini. The International Handball Federation (IHF) has changed the uniform rules for female athletes, who were previously required to wear bikinis for beach handball.
A heated dispute broke out in July this year during the European Championship. Then, for violating the bikini rule, the Norwegian team, which performed in shorts, was fined 1 dollars.
Many called this fine sexist. The fans asked to cancel such requirements for sportswomen's clothes, and the American singer Pink said that she was proud of the Norwegian team and was ready to pay a fine for them.
The Norwegian Handball Federation said that it will pay the fine, but in the future "will fight for the amendment of the rules so that female athletes can play in a form that is convenient for them."
Norway's Sports Minister Abid Raja said that the attitude to this issue should change, and called the current situation "simply ridiculous."
In September, ministers from Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden appealed to the IHF to revise the requirements for the uniform "in accordance with the policy of gender equality".
Meanwhile, Australian activist Talitha Stone, who lives in Norway, began collecting signatures for a petition to repeal the "bikini rule." This weekend, she reported that the campaign was a success, as the petition gathered 61 signatures.
Now the new collection of rules of the International Handball Federation no longer contains the mention of bikinis.
According to the new rules, girls playing beach handball must be dressed in "shape-fitting tops" and "tight-fitting short pants" instead of short tops and bikinis.
