Women's volleyball team says no to bikinis

NEW DELHI, July 18 (UPI) -- Women on India's team playing in the World Beach Volleyball contest say they are refusing to dress in bikinis because the dress code goes against their beliefs.

Organizers of the event agreed to loosen the dress code rules, allowing the Indian team to wear long shorts and T-shirts instead of the required bikini, The Telegraph reported Friday.

"We want to give a good fight in the game and not the dress code," Kanaka Mahalakshmi, who is on the Indian team, told the newspaper.

AJ Martin, head of the local Beach Volley Ball Championship in Chennai, said dress code regulations were loosened to honor the cultural and religious beliefs of players.

"Everything is possible in sports to respect culture of different countries. We don't mean to offend anyone. We are here to play the sport," Zoe Chater of the French team told The Telegraph.