Finnish Powerchair Hockey players showcasing their skills in the men’s World Floorball Championships

Finnish Powerchair Hockey national team got an opportunity to showcase the sport and their individual skills during the final day of the men’s World Floorball Championships played in the Hartwall Arena, Helsinki. The powerchair hockey exhibition match between the Finnish national team players was played on Saturday 11th of December during the first break of the bronze medal match between Switzerland and Czech Republic.

”The best thing with these kind of matches is to be able to play in front of a big crowd. It is important to spread the word about our sport and to showcase the diversity of sport. Children and youth with disabilities can see that there is a sport for them and there are players, idols even, who look just like them”, says Finnish national team player Ella-Riikka Isometsä.

Isometsä remembers playing once before in the Hartwall Arena. There was a similiar exhibition match during the 2010 men’s World Floorball Championships in Helsinki.

The COVID-19 pandemic has had dramatic consequences on Finnish Powerchair Hockey. Since the IPCH Euro Stars Tournament in Lignano-Sabbiadoro on February 2020 the Finnish players have not been playing official matches neither home nor abroad. The 2020 European Championships scheduled to be played in Finland were cancelled.

”We are hoping to be able to start the national league here in Finland in January and try to get few tournaments under our belts before the World Championships in Switzerland on August. After all this time not being able to play I feel like we are more ambitious than ever”, Isometsä says.