The singer Pink has got involved in a beach handball sexism row. She offered to pay the fine given to Norway's women's team after they refused to wear bikini bottoms at the 2021 European Beach Handball Championships. The European Handball Federation (EHF) fined the team $1,765 for not following the rules and for wearing "improper clothing". Male competitors were allowed to wear shorts, but the women were required to wear bikinis. Pink took to Twitter and offered to pay the fine. She added that the EHF should be fined "for sexism".
Norway's handball federation said bikinis were "not appropriate clothing for...playing in the sand". The team's request to wear shorts was turned down. Male players were allowed to wear shirts and shorts no longer than 10cm above the knee; while women were expected to wear very short tops and bikini bottoms "with a close fit and cut on an upward angle toward the top of the leg". Norway called the dress rule discriminatory, antiquated and "completely ridiculous". It questioned: "How many attitude changes are needed in the old-fashioned international patriarchy of sports?"