• European Handball Federation introduces rule to stop Sweden captain • ‘It is sad they do not allow us to express our feelings about humanity’

The European Handball Federation has introduced a rule which makes it impossible for the Sweden captain to wear a rainbow-coloured armband at the European Championship, which starts in Poland on Friday. Poland refuses to recognise same-sex marriages and Tobias Karlsson announced last week that he was intending to wear the armband “as a quiet manifestation for acceptance and that every person is of equal worth”.

However, on the eve of the tournament the Sweden team have been told that a new rule means the captain’s armband can from now on consist only of that country’s colours.

“I think it is a real shame,” Karlsson told the Swedish paper Aftonbladet after being told of the news. “It is sad that the EHF chooses that path and does not allow us to express our feelings about humanity and how I think people should be treated.

“I have to say I am surprised. We were told only a few days ago that it was OK to wear the armband. Norway’s and Iceland’s captains have been in touch about also wearing one so we sent a few to them.”

The vice-president of the EHF, the Swede Arne Elovsson, was not part of making the decision to introduce the rule but said afterwards: “My interpretation is that this question has never been raised before. Now that it was raised one had to make a decision and go back to the rules and try to interpret them from a global perspective. That is the explanation. There is logic in this and they were unanimous in their decision.”

The Law and Justice Party, which is opposed to LGBT rights, won the election in Poland in October last year and the country offers no recognition of same-sex relationships and has refused to recognise trans people.

Karlsson added: “I am not quite sure what we will use now. The two other armbands we have are red-and-white and black.”

Sweden play their first game on Saturday, against Slovenia.