Pink Offers To Pay Norwegian Women’s Beach Handball Team’s Shorts Fine

Pink is showing support for Olympic athletes who were fined after refusing to wear bikini bottoms while competing in the women's beach handball event.

The singer-songwriter has offered to pay the Norwegian women's team's fines -- totaling around $1,765. Last week, the European Handball Federation asserted that the women competed in "improper clothing" by wearing shorts like their male counterparts during the 2021 European Beach Handball Championships.

On Saturday (July 24), Pink took to Twitter to lend her support to the team, saying the EHF should be fined "for sexism."

The 41-year-old singer told her 31.6 million followers, "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."

She then retweeted a Twitter user who pointed out the unfair clothing rules from men and women: "When the men play a sport wearing long shorts and tank tops, but the women are REQUIRED to wear bikini tops and bottoms, THAT is sexism! So either let the women wear the same as the men, or make the men play in Speedos."

The Norwegian women's beach handball team showed their gratitude to the "Just Give Me A Reason" singer, reposting her tweet via a BBC News post on their Instagram story today.

The team also posted a photo wearing shorts, thankful for the support they've received amid the fine.

According to International Handball Federation regulations, female players are required to wear bikini bottoms with a side width of a maximum of 3.9 inches, with a "close fit" and "cut on an upward angle toward the top of the leg." Their male counterparts must wear shorts that are "not too baggy" and 3.9 inches above the knee.