Paris Olympics: Egypt VS Spain Beach Volleyball Match Sparks Debate

The Paris Olympics 2024 has created various controversies so far, making the Games even more interesting to watch. The most recent controversy that has emerged is regarding the Spain Vs Egypt beach Volleyball Match.

In the Spain’s beach volleyball match against Egypt, more than their performances, the players’ outfit choices became the topic of discussion on social media. The pictures from the match went viral on social media sparking a debate among netizens. The two teams played against each other in a match as part of the last round of pool play, to figure out who will qualify for the quarterfinals in the Olympics volleyball tournament. Spain defeated Egypt on Thursday in straight sets.

During the match, The Spanish players, Liliana Fernandez and Paula Soria Gutierrez wore traditional bikinis worn by many beach volleyball players while the Egyptian players competed in hijabs, long black-sleeved shirts, and black ankle-length leggings. The stark contrast between the players outfits created a controversy and sparked a debate on the internet. What added to the controversy was France, the host for this years Olympics have a hijab ban in the country.

About the Hijab ban in France, Egypt's Doaa Elghobashy commented, "I want to play in my hijab, she wants to play in a bikini. Everything is OK, if you want to be naked or wear a hijab. Just respect all different cultures and religions. I don't tell you to wear a hijab and you don't tell me to wear a bikini. No one can tell me how to dress. It's a free country, everyone should be allowed to do what they want.”

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