Squash club apologises after awarding vibrators to female winners of Spanish club tournament
- Squash Oviedo organise a yearly tournament for men and women in Spain
- The top-placed men were given trophies in recognition of their victory
- Women also got trophies, plus a vibrator, hair removal cream, and a foot file
- Organisers issued an apology after gifts were branded ‘the height of sexism’
A Spanish squash club has been forced to apologise after gifting the female winners of a tournament a vibrator, electric foot file and two body hair removal kits.
The male winners of the Asturias Squash Championship, organised by Squash Oviedo near the northern city of Gijon, received trophies to recognise their victory.
The top four women were also given trophies accompanied by the bizarre selection of items, promoting outrage and accusations of sexism.
Male winners of the tournament were given trophies, while female winners were given trophies plus a bizarre gift basket that included vibrators, wax and a foot file
The scandal has already led to three resignations of people linked to the organisation of the yearly event, including that of Squash Oviedo president Nacho Manzano.
The club, based in Oviedo in the province of Asturias, has apologised in writing while trying to insist there was no sexist intent behind the gifts.
But Maribel Toyos, a spokesman for the Asturias Squash Federation, said: ‘It’s the height of sexism. We had no idea the women were going to receive these gifts.
‘It makes no sense for the club to apologise but at the same time say the gifts are not sexist.’
Mr Manzano told a local paper: ‘We feel terribly ashamed by what’s happened and we understand the gifts were not the appropriate ones but it was never our intention to offend anyone.’
Club Squash Oviedo organised the tournament at this sports hall in northern Spain, where the prizes were given out to the shocked athletes
The squash club at the centre of the scandal has also decided not to organise any more events this year.
Almudena Cueto, director of the Asturian Women’s Institute, said she has met with the four female players after they complained about the gifts.
But she revealed she was unable to punish the club because legislation that would have enabled it to levy fines had not been approved.
She added: ‘They returned the gifts and decided to make a formal complaint so something like this would never happen.
‘What’s occurred is shameful. It’s left us speechless.’
The president of another regional organisation added: ‘Would the organisers have dreamed of gifting the men winners a male sex toy?
‘I’m sure it didn’t even cross their minds.’