Denial revealed a lie

DrThe first session with a ball from Carla Borger and Julia Souda at their training camp in Jandia Playa in southern Fuerteventura went well. Sunshine, 21 degrees, light wind. Cell phones are off. Because the waves not only hit the Atlantic coast, but also the Internet.

Shortly before their trip to the Canary Islands, the two beach volleyball players announced that they would not start the tournament from March 8 to 12 in Doha due to a dress code that was unacceptable in their view. Qatari authorities’ regulations there stipulated that players should wear knee-length shirts and shorts instead of the usual sports bikini. “We don’t want to support this,” said Burger / Sow, and conceded the registration form to “No.” Their stance caused a buzz far beyond the beach scene and astonished sporting politicians in the desert state, which has been trying for years to polish its image through high-quality sporting events.

Clothes sketches added

The Qatari Volleyball Association (QVA) immediately denied the decree of long pants and told AFP that it “did not demand” what athletes should wear to the event. The Qataris even referred to the World Beach Games 2019 in the emirate, where players played in their usual tight clothes. So they are free to wear the sportswear that they are accustomed to from other countries in the tournament in March.

However, Konstantin Adam, director of Borger / Sude, opposed this cast and referred to the tournament regulations. These are usually created by the FIFA World Confederation (FIVB) in consultation with the local host and clarify all questions regarding the tournament’s technical and organizational process. In the case of Doha, Point 10 of 17 states that women should wear knee-length shirts and pants instead of the usual sporty bikinis “respecting the local culture and traditions”, even during training. Even clothes sketches are attached to illustrate this. Adam classifies the Qataris ’denial as an outright” lie “.

The International Volleyball Federation has included the Qatar championship in the women’s competition schedule for the first time. Only men have played there for the past seven years. The FIFA confirmed that with the exception of Borger / Sude, it received no negative reactions regarding the tournament. It may have sporting reasons: the championship in the emirate is so far the only tournament held before the Olympic Games. This is one of the reasons why it is so important for many players there to participate. 52 duos from 23 countries have registered, including nearly all the top teams from Brazil, the United States and Europe. Four German teams are there too.