The Norwegian women's beach handball team has refused to wear the bikini in the European women's handball championship. On July 18, they faced the Spanish team in the match for the third place and put their socks in place of the bikini imposed by the regulation of uniforms.

On Monday, 19 July, the European Handball Federation indicated in a statement that socks do not comply with the uniforms of athletes. For violating the regulation, Norwegian players were fined 150 euros to each of the players: EUR 1,500 for the whole selection.

According to the media Herald Sun, the president of the Norwegian Handball Federation, Kare Geir Lio, has announced in the NRK medium that they will pay the fine. He adds that everyone is “on the same boat” and that the most important thing is “to have a team that makes athletes feel comfortable”: “It should be a free option within a standardized regime.”

Currently, the International Handball Federation states that men should play the matches in shorts, while women should wear a lower bikini. The male uniform can reach 10 centimeters above the knees, “if it’s not too wide.” However, in the case of women, the width of the bikini side tape cannot exceed 10 centimeters. In addition, the suit must be “narrow” and “cut in ascending angle”, obligatorily.

Threats of the Federation

The European handball championship was played in Varnia (Bulgaria) between 13 and 18 July, and before the first match dispute, Norwegian players announced that they would give up wearing this bikini. The athlete Katinka Haltvik informed the NRK, at first, that the Handball Federation wanted to impose a fine of EUR 50 on each player. Haltvik explained that this decision had been “accepted”, but before starting the match they received a second threat: if they played in socks, they wanted to take them out of the championship.

Incomodo with Bikini

Haltvik stated that the players had placed the lower parts of the bikinis so as not to stay out of the competition. But he acknowledged that they make them feel "embarrassed." The former player and leader of the French handball team Várei Nicolas agreed with the Norwegian athlete in statements to VIG: “We’ve lost a lot of players for these uniforms. Players tell me they feel uncomfortable, naked, and watched. It’s a sport with a lot of movement and it limits you a bikini.”

Step for change

The Berria media has collected the information provided by the Dagbladet newspaper for dissemination. According to information, the federations of Norway, Denmark, France and Sweden would like to ask the European Handball Federation to amend its costume rules.