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Pink offers to pay bikini bottoms fine for Norway women's handball team

Reuters Pink accepted the Icon Award at the 2021 Billboard Music Awards in MayReuters
Pink accepted the Icon Award at the 2021 Billboard Music Awards in May

US pop star Pink has offered to pay the fines handed out to the Norwegian women's beach handball team, after they wore shorts like their male counterparts instead of bikini bottoms.

The team was fined 1,500 euros (£1,295) for "improper clothing" at the European Beach Handball Championships last week.

"I'm very proud of the Norwegian female beach handball team for protesting sexist rules about their uniform," tweeted the singer on Sunday.

"Good on ya, ladies," she added.

"I'll be happy to pay your fines for you. Keep it up."

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The Norwegian Handball Federation announced last week that it was prepared to pay the fines, adding though that it should be "a free choice within a standardised framework".

But the team expressed their gratitude towards the Get the Party Started and Cover Me In Sunshine singer via their Instagram story.

"Wow! Thank you so much for the support," they wrote.

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The European Handball Federation had said it fined the Norway team for its choice of kit during their recent bronze medal match against Spain in Bulgaria because the players' shorts were "not according to the athlete uniform regulations".

However, the country's minister for culture and sport, Abid Raja, described the ruling as being "completely ridiculous".

Jozo Cabraja / kolektiff Norway v Spain at the European Beach Handball ChampionshipJozo Cabraja / kolektiff
The European Handball Federation said Norway's shorts broke uniform regulations

Former tennis champion Billie Jean King was among those noting how the men's teams wear shorts.

"The sexualization of women athletes must stop," she tweeted last week.

Bath University handball club said the fines were "absolutely outrageous", noting how the rules around bikinis could be putting women off taking up the sport.

Co-captain Emma Steggles said: "I would feel extremely uncomfortable being made to wear a bikini to play a sport I love."

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