Singer Pink offers to Pay Fine for Norwegian Beach Handball Team; Netizens Appreciate the Act

Wowing netizens, American singer and songwriter Pink has thrown her support behind a Norwegian female beach handball team and offered to pay the fines they were punished with for not playing in bikini bottoms at a recent championship game.

Pink says that the EHF should be fined for Sexism

The Grammy Award-winner tweeted: "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." She added that she would be "happy to pay" the team's fines.

Pink said, "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."

The Norwegian Team Thanked Pink

The Norwegian women's beach handball team showed their gratitude to the 41-year-old singer-songwriter, reposting her tweet on their Instagram story.

"Wow! Thank you so much for the support," they wrote. Other posts on their official page show them posing together in their shorts, reported CNN.

Pink
Pink Wikimedia Commons

How the Controversy Started

The Norwegian handball team embraced fines after ditching their bikini bottoms for shorts. Norway's female team was fined 1,500 euros ($1,770) at the European Beach Handball Championships in Bulgaria last week. The team was fined for what the European federation called improper clothing and "a breach of clothing regulations." The rules stipulate that women must wear bikini bottoms while men wear shorts.

The Norwegian Handball Federation didn't contest the decision, seen by the Norwegian team and several others as unfair, and announced earlier that it was ready to pay the fine.

"We are very much aware of the attention the topic has received over the past days, and while changes cannot happen overnight, we are fully committed that something good comes out of this situation right now which is why the EHF has donated the fine for a good cause promoting equality in sports," European Handball Federation President Michael Wiederer said in a statement.

In the Past Too, Pink has Supported Social Causes

From her edgy music to her fierce look, Pink continues to charm the world with her message of woman empowerment and barrier breaking. She has supported many causes like gender equality, human rights, LGBT rights etc.

In 2006, she pushed boundaries even further by criticizing President Bush in her original song, "Dear Mr. President." The song touches base on many ideals of the feminist group including the acceptance of the LGTBQ community and women's rights.

Last month, Pink performed alongside Kylie Minogue and Troye Sivan in the Can't Cancel Pride relief benefit, an online stream to help raise visibility and funds for members of the LGBTQ+ community.

Netizens Appreciate Pink for Supporting Norway's Female Team

Pink has won many hearts as she tweeted in favour of the Norwegian handball team. Many social media users have appreciated her support for the team and said that the Olympics is supposed to be about athleticism, not about exploiting women's body.