The European Handball Association fined the Norwegian women’s beach handball team in response to the athletes’ rejection of mandated bikinis at the European Beach Handball Championships in Bulgaria. The athletes objected to the bikini requirement, citing that men’s handball team uniforms are more modest and that the disparate standards constitute sexism. Vanessa Clifford reported on the controversy, and its local link, for NBC10.

The women’s sport’s official requirement for bikini bottoms was set by the International Handball Federation. It calls for a close fit with sides that are no wider than four inches, according to The New York Times.

Shorts for the men can be as long as four inches above the knee. Their only other provision is that they are not “too baggy.”

The ten-member women’s team was collectively fined about €1,500 ($1,770, or $177 per player).

Doylestown homegirl Pink posted her support on Twitter, congratulating the players for making a stand against sexism. She then offered to pay the fine, adding that it is the handball federation itself that deserves a financial forfeit.

Absent compliance, the female handball players faced either the levy or a disqualification.

More on this international story with a local twist is at NBC10.