A cover-up: Handball bosses ‘quietly change rules’ on women’s beach clothing after bikini backlash from Norway stars

Women’s beach handball players will be allowed to wear less revealing attire after international bosses modified the rules in the wake of protests from the Norway team at competing in bikini bottoms.

Norwegian female stars appearing at the Euro 21 tournament in Bulgaria during the summer made international headlines when they refused to wear tight bottoms, saying it made them feel “sexualized” and uncomfortable.

Instead, they wore longer-fitting shorts but were later slapped with a €1,500 fine ($1,735) by the European Handball Federation (EHF) for breaching rules on competition outfits.

The outrage attracted the attention of the likes of popstar Pink, who promised to pay the fine for the Norway team.

According to the Guardian, officials at the International Handball Federation (IHF) have “quietly altered” their regulations on beach handball clothing in the past month to mean women can now wear bike shorts and longer tops rather than more revealing bikini-style outfits.

However, the regulations still state that the women’s pants must be “tight with a close fit”.

The new IHF regulations on women's beach handball attire. © International Handball Federation

“I hope this is the beginning of the end of sexism and objectification of women and girls in sport,” said Australian activist Talitha Stone.

“And that in future all women and girls will be free to participate in sport without fear of wardrobe malfunctions and sexual harassment.”

Other sports have seen similar debates over women’s clothing.

In gymnastics, the German women’s team opted for full-body suits at events earlier this year – including the Olympics in Tokyo – saying they were taking a stand against “sexualization.”