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SEXISM

Austria ruling party ejects MP after sexist tweet

Austria's ruling conservative party on Monday ejected a parliamentarian after he implied a politician from neighbouring Germany reached her position on "her knees".

Published: 4 September 2018 14:17 CEST
Austria ruling party ejects MP after sexist tweet
Efgani Dönmez pictured in 2013. Photo: Manfred Werner

Asked by a Twitter user how Berlin state secretary Sawsan Chebli got her position, Efgani Dönmez tweeted over the weekend: “Look at her knees, maybe you find an answer there”.

Chancellor Sebastian Kurz's People's Party (ÖVP) dismissed Dönmez, who ran on an ÖVP ticket during national elections last year, saying “sexist, offensive gaffes are not acceptable”.

Dönmez — facing calls to resign as a parliamentarian — said he would continue in his position without party affiliation.

Dönmez removed the tweet, saying on Sunday he only meant to address Chebli's “attitude”, supporting conservative Muslim groups, and not her “origins or gender”. Chebli is the daughter of Palestinian refugees.

“Based on the discussions that have followed (my tweet) I see in hindsight that I have degraded Ms. Chebli. It was a moment of weakness, absolutely wrong of me, and I apologise for this sincerely to her and to all who have felt hurt 
through this,” Dönmez posted.

The ÖVP has been governing Austria since late last year in a coalition with the far-right FPÖ.

SPORT

Norwegians give short shrift to fine for women’s handball team

Norwegian officials reacted sharply on Tuesday after the country's women's beach handball team was fined for wearing shorts instead of bikini bottoms in competition.

Published: 20 July 2021 16:39 CEST
Norwegians give short shrift to fine for women's handball team
Norway's Stine Ruscetta Skogrand (L) vies with Montenegro's Vukcevic Nikolina (C) and Ema Ramusovic (R) during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics women's qualifying handball match between Montenegro and Norway in Podgorica on March 19, 2021. (Photo by SAVO PRELEVIC / AFP)

The Disciplinary Committee of the European Handball Federation (EHF) on Monday fined the Norway 1,500 euros ($1,768), or 150 euros per player, after they wore shorts in their bronze-medal match loss to Spain at the European Beach Handball Championship in Varna, Bulgaria, on Sunday.

“In 2021, it shouldn’t even be an issue,” the president of the Norwegian Volleyball Federation, Eirik Sordahl, told national news agency NTB.

Clothing has long been an issue in beach sports, with some women players finding bikinis degrading or impractical.

While bikinis have not been compulsory for beach volleyball players since 2012, International Handball Federation (IHF) rules state “female athletes must wear bikini bottoms” and that these must have “a close fit”, be “cut on an upward angle toward the top of the leg” and a side depth of no more than 10 centimetres.

Male players wear shorts.

READ MORE: Norwegian female beach handballers scrap bikini in spite of rules

“It’s completely ridiculous,” Norway’s Minister for Culture and Sports, Abid Raja, tweeted after Monday’s ruling. “What a change of attitude is needed in the macho and conservative international world of sport.”

Ahead of the tournament, Norway asked the EHF for permission to play in shorts, but were told that breaches of the rules were punishable by fines.

They complied, until their last match.

“The EHF is committed to bring this topic forward in the interest of its member federations, however it must also be said that a change of the rules can only happen at IHF level,” EHF spokesman Andrew Barringer said in an email.

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