It’s not about the uniform you wear.
Once every four years beach volleyball smashes onto the world stage.
The sport has always attracted comments for reasons other than the players’ athleticism.
Boris Johnson’s infamous description of the athletes in 2012 Olympics as “semi-naked women playing beach volleyball… glistening like wet otters” made international headlines, Johnson was mayor of London at the time.
The Olympic committee finally relaxed the strict uniform regulations during the last Olympics, allowing players to compete in long sleeves and leggings.
The decision was taken in order open up the sport culturally and it seems to have succeeded as an additional 26 countries competed in the qualifiers for Rio.
The match between Germany and Egypt this weekend showed not a ‘clash of cultures’ as many tabloid headlines screamed but instead the equality that is exclusive to sport.
Are the Germans being objectified by wearing bikinis? Is Egypt being restricted in spandex? Or is the Olympic ethos of “blending sport with culture and education” being emulated?
Speaking to the Associated Press the Egyptian player, Doaa Elghobashy, said “I have worn the hijab for 10 years,” after a 21-12, 21-15 loss to Germany. “It doesn’t keep me away from the things I love to do, and beach volleyball is one of them.”
Egypt v Germany, Beach Volleyball.
This is why we do the Olympics. pic.twitter.com/DT19Zm5ube— ian bremmer (@ianbremmer) August 8, 2016
Seeing athletes compete at the highest level is fairly impressive entirely irrespective of their uniform.
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