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'Keep it up': Pink offers to cover bikini fines for Norwegian women's beach handball team

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TORONTO -

American pop star Pink has offered to pay the fines given to the Norwegian women’s beach handball team for their decision to wear shorts instead of bikini bottoms during a recent European championship game.

On Saturday, the singer tweeted her support for the team after the European Handball Federation (EHF) fined them $1,500 euros (C$2,218) – or $150 euros ($220) for each player – for “improper clothing” during the bronze-medal match against Spain on July 18.

“I’m VERY proud of the Norwegian female beach handball team FOR PROTESTING THE VERY SEXIST RULES ABOUT THEIR “uniform”. The European handball federation SHOULD BE FINED FOR SEXISM. Good on ya, ladies. I’ll be happy to pay your fines for you. Keep it up,” Pink wrote

While the Norwegian Handball Federation (NHF) has already stated they were prepared to pay the fine, the handball team still expressed their gratitude to Pink on Instagram. 

In a post shared on the team’s Instagram stories, they wrote: “Wow! Thank you so much for the support.”

Norway’s minister for culture and sport, Abid Raja, also thanked the Grammy Award-winner for her tweet.

“Thankyou [sic] for your support P!nk! As Minister of sports and equality in Norway I have sent letter to all nordic ministers of sports for a joint statement to support our women. I hope all the fans and friends you have give all their support as well, so we can change this stupid rule!” he wrote on Twitter.

According to the EHF, the Norwegian team didn’t comply with uniform regulations that stipulate female athletes must wear bikini bottoms featuring a maximum side width of 10 centimetres, a “close fit,” and a “cut on an upward angle toward the top of the leg.”

Conversely, the uniform regulations for male athletes require they wear shorts that are “not too baggy” and 10 centimetres above the kneecap.

Pink isn’t the only one who has chimed in on the controversy, former tennis star Billie Jean King also weighed in on the fines on Twitter and demanded that the “sexualisation of women athletes must stop.” 

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