BY DAWN TAY

SINGAPORE'S first beach netball tournament, the Contiki Beach Netball Festival, has been accused of being sexist and exploitative.

Related link: » Too skimpy? Let athletes decide » Attire furore

The reason? Its women participants must wear a sports bra for a top.

The rule has deterred some would-be participants - some of them former national players - from taking part.

Former national youth player Nur Liyana Noordin, who is giving the tournament a miss, said: 'It's sexist to want women to play sports in sexy attire.'

Netball coach Lin Shuangru, 24, feels 'uncomfortable and exposed' playing in a sports bra.

She said: 'Are they trying to popularise the sport by making use of women's sex appeal?

'It might affect the performances of those who feel forced to wear the attire, as they become more self-conscious.'

Another coach, Chen Shi Yun - who manages one of the participating teams - said that players were not given enough prior details of the attire rule.

She said: 'Upon registration, it was just stated that we had to wear the 'official top'. It was a rude surprise to some that the top was in fact a sports bra.'

Chen said that some of her players are trying to find creative ways to get around the ruling.

For example, they are thinking of wearing skins inside, or arriving late in the hope that crop-top sizes might run out. Sports executive Eric Lee commented that some of his female teammates are resorting to last-ditch attempts to tone their abdominal muscles.

Unhappy participants unanimously said that they should be allowed to wear what they wanted.

When contacted by my paper, event organiser Netball Singapore said they 'understood that not all players will be comfortable with this, and they should decide if they would play'.

Its executive director, Mr Cyrus Medora, said: 'It's a beach event and our title sponsor, Contiki Holidays, is trying to reach out to 18- to 35-year-olds.'

Controversy over differences in sports attire between the sexes has overshadowed other international sport in the past (see report here).

Even though some men said they would prefer to go topless, others aren't complaining.

Said Mr Lee: 'Less clothes for them (women), more clothes for us - single guys are happy. I don't have much rippling muscles to show off, anyway.'

For more my paper stories click here.