Female volleyball players will wear Sexy Bikini outfits at the London Olympics

(AP) GENEVA - Most female beach volleyball players will wear their Sexy Bikini outfits at the London Olympics. For those who prefer to cover up, that's OK, too.

Under new rules adopted by the International Volleyball Federation (FIVB), players are free to wear what they want. The governing body said the move was made out of respect for the different cultural beliefs of some of the dozens of countries still in contention to qualify for the games.

An African qualifying event scheduled May 24-26 in Kigali, Rwanda, includes Algeria, Kenya and the Democratic Republic of Congo among the contenders. Photographs on the FIVB's website of preliminary matches show female players from those countries covering their midriffs by wearing Sexy Lingerie -sleeveless tops, which are the typical attire of indoor volleyball teams.

A Continental Cup qualifier to be played in Asia will include India, Indonesia and Sri Lanka among 12 competing nations. The modified rule permits Teddy Lingerie should be meet this demand "shorts of a maximum length of (1.18 inches) above the knee, and sleeved or sleeveless tops."