Finally, the bikini will have the right to quote in Qatar for beach volleyball players.
The International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) assured, Tuesday February 23, that this usual outfit of athletes practicing Beach Volleyball was not prohibited for the Katara Cup which is scheduled from March 8 to 12.
The German pair Borger-Sude, 16th in the world, had announced their intention to boycott the tournament.
This is the first time that Qatar will host a major women's beach volleyball tournament, after hosting a men's competition for seven years, and in 2019 the World Beach Games, where players were allowed to wear swimsuits.
Beim Beachvolleyballturnier in #Doha dürfen die Spielerinnen jetzt doch im Sportbikini starten.
Eine richtige Entscheidung, meint @karlaborger.
Sie hatte mit ihrer Partnerin Julia Sude durch ihren Boykott des Turniers erst die Diskussion angestoßen.https: //t.co/r1NJ6CNDB4 pic.twitter.com/7f3v105ZhN
- Deutschlandfunk Sport (@DLF_Sport) February 23, 2021
In a statement sent to AFP on Tuesday evening, the FIVB indicated that it was in contact with the Qatari Volleyball Federation (QVA), which confirmed to it that there are no restrictions on the outfit of the players.
The controversy grew after German star pair Karla Borger-Julia Sude decided on Monday to boycott the event, due to a ban on wearing bikinis on the pitch, with the players being forced to play. in a t-shirt and long pants, an outfit sometimes used in competition when the weather is less favorable.
Updated tournament rules
The International Federation updated on Tuesday evening the tournament rules, available online, and in particular article 10 concerning the players' outfits.
"Following discussions, QVA confirmed on February 23 that there are no restrictions for the players if they wish to wear the standard dress during competition in Qatar."
The previous version of this article 10, dated February 16, stated: "For women's outfits, in order to respect local culture and tradition, with the full support of sportswomen, it is expected that all participating women's teams use a short-sleeved t-shirt to wear under the official women's tournament top and knee-length shorts, in training and in matches. "
"During the competition in Doha, if players ask to wear the usual outfit, they will be free to do so," said the FIVB in a statement to AFP.
"Not respected as a woman"
The organization of this first-ever women's beach volleyball tournament in Qatar was the subject of a player consultation in January.
"The players have expressed their support for this initiative (...), and their enthusiasm," added the International Federation.
On Monday, in Spiegel magazine, Karla Borger insisted that while, in normal times, she was happy to "adapt to a country", the extreme heat in Qatar made it necessary to wear a bikini.
Her teammate Julia Sude noted that Qatar made exceptions for female athletes at the World Athletics Championships in Doha in 2019. National coach Helke Claasen will also not be making the trip to the World Championships. Qatar.
"She told me that she doesn't want to go there, because she doesn't feel respected as a woman there," said Niclas Hildebrand, sports director of the German Volleyball Federation, in the German daily Süddeutsche Zeitung.
Qatar, which is due to host the FIFA World Cup in 2022, has made a specialty of organizing major sporting events, despite several controversies, particularly around its lack of tradition in competitive sport, its extreme climate, as well as as the working conditions of employees at certain sports venues.
With AFP
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