In March, Doha organizes for the first time a World Tour competition for women, but it will be without the World Cup silver medalist Karla Borger and her partner Julia Sude.
- We are here to do our job, but are stopped from wearing our work clothes, says Borger to the radio station Deutschlandfunk.
- It really is the only country and the only tournament where the government tells us how to do our job - and we criticize that.
Urges to wear longer pants
The International Volleyball Federation (Fivb) urges players to wear a t-shirt and longer trousers - "out of respect for the culture and tradition of the host country".
Borger says she normally has no problem adapting to the culture of a country, but that the heat in Qatar - it can be up to 30 degrees in March - makes it necessary to play in a bikini.
The heat and humidity were in focus during the World Athletics Championships in Doha 2019 when many participants in the walking races collapsed.
- We question whether it is necessary to have a tournament there at all, says Borger.