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International Handball Federation changes rules similar to ‘sexist’ after criticism

November 1, 2021
Henry Club

The European Handball Federation said the shorts were “inappropriate clothing”, with fines of 1,500 euros (about 1,735) per player – 150 euros ($173) announced.

At the time, team coach Eskil Berg Andreasen told CNN that similar rules could discourage women from playing the sport, and Singer-songwriter Pink slams rules As “sexist” and offered to pay a fine on behalf of the Norwegian team.

The new uniform rules, which are due out October 3, state that “female athletes must wear short tight pants with a close fit” and also include tank tops for women instead of crop tops prescribed in the old rules.

Male players are also instructed to wear tank tops and shorts, although the women’s rules state that shorts are not a requirement for tight-fitting.

Since the Norwegian team was fined, considerable pressure was put on the handball officials to revise their rules.

A change.org petition to remove the fine and allow women to compete in shorts received more than 60,000 signatures, while the sports ministers of Norway, Denmark, Finland, Iceland and Sweden also called on the IHF to review its uniforms. called upon. Policy.

“With those bikinis, we were checking all the time if it was in the right place. We were focusing on things other than sports — and that’s not something we want,” says Julie Espelund Berg, A defender with Norway’s beach handball team, first told CNN.

“We just want to be treated on the same level as boys.”

The IHF did not immediately respond to CNN’s request for comment.

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one in Statement Published in July, the IHF stated that it “acknowledges the ongoing global discussion” regarding uniform rules, adding: “The IHF aims to develop all of its disciplines, including handball and beach handball, to make it more diverse. and by being inclusive.

“Over the years, the IHF has undertaken a number of projects and initiatives to help achieve this objective, by introducing more international competitions and global education programs for beach handball among others. This goal is of particular importance. This is because the IHF aims to include beach handball in the Olympic program… [T]He wants the IHF to re-emphasize that handball athletes are their main asset and that within the organization, the IHF will always listen to them.

CNN’s Amy Woodyatt and Toyin Owosje contributed reporting.

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