Pink offers to pay fine for Norwegian handball team who wore shorts instead of bikini bottoms

Singer Pink has offered to pay the fines handed to Norway’s women’s beach handball team for wearing shorts.

Last week, there was outrage across social media as the Norwegian sporting team were fined €1,500 (£1,295) for choosing to wear shorts instead of bikini bottoms during their bronze medal game against Spain during the European Beach Handball Championships on July 18.

The European Handball Federation (EHF) fined each player €150 ( £129.50) for “improper clothing”.

While the rules specify that competing players should wear bikini bottoms, many took to social media to call out the rule and the sexualisation of the athletes.

Now, Pink has stepped in and offered to cover the fines.

In a tweet, the singer showed support for the team for taking a stand against the governing body’s “very sexist rules”.

Pink wrote: “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.”

The protest has brought attention to the contrast in outfit rules between the men’s and women’s handball teams.

The sport’s international body, the International Handball Federation, states that male athletes can wear shorts that end 10 centimetres above the kneecap.

For women, the rules state: “Female athletes must wear bikini bottoms … with a close fit and cut on an upward angle toward the top of the leg.

“The side width must be of a maximum of 10 centimetres.”

Norway Handball’s official Instagram account wrote that the team will continue to call for change to the regulations.

They wrote: “We will continue to fight to change the international regulations for clothing so that players can play in the clothes they are comfortable with.”