Anne Berner patron of the WFC 2015 – 08.09.2015

The Minister of Transport and Communications of Finland, Mrs. Anne Berner is the patron of the 10th IFF Women’s World Floorball Championships 2015.

The championships will be played between December 4th and December 12th in Tampere, Finland. 16 countries are represented at the championships including Finland as one of the favourites for the champions’ crown.

- It feels really good to be involved in supporting women´s sports, the Ministry of Transport and Communications Anne Berner says.

Women´s floorball started on international level at the beginning of the 1990s. The first World Championships were played in spring 1997, when Finland organised the tournament on the Åland Islands. Floorball has experienced a huge buoyancy during its 30-year history, and elevated to one of Finland´s largest ball sports.


- Everyone involved in floorball can only be proud of the accomplishments. I am honoured to act as the WFC 2015 tournament patron, Berner says, impressed.


Especially among young people floorball is very popular. The WFC 2015 is also the climax of the girls floorball project "Diamonds". With the project the number of women and girl players has increased in Finland.


- Young people seem to prefer team sports and floorball is very much up to date. The motto of the championships, "Magical Together", embodies the modern community, in which social media is an important part. Also, increasing the equality and ecology in the connection with the event arrangements and selecting both as values of the championships is a reasonable choice, Minister Berner continues.

Top athletes as ambassadors

The two Ambassadors of the championships are both role models of their sports, ex-national team football player Laura Österberg Kalmari as well as a two time world champion and five times world´s best floorball player Mika Kohonen.

- Floorball has a lot of similarities to my sport, football. A lot has happened in a short time, in floorball as well as women’s football. It is an indication of a burning desire and relentless work of the players as well as a remarkable amount of people dedicated to the sport. It feels great that I have been asked to be the ambassador for this big sports celebration in my home, Österberg Kalmari says.

The ambassadors know very well, what it means to an athlete to play at home in front of the own crowd.

- In fact, I got to enjoy playing in front of the home crowd at the Olympic Stadium in Helsinki during the UEFA European Championships in 2009. Home Games mean very much for every athlete. They provide goals to be achieved and with that increase the motivation. The common goal set by the players creates a sense of belonging and the team spirit provides individual players energy and belief in oneself as well as the team together. My motivation message to the teams is: “If you can dream it, You can do it!”


Mika Kohonen, in turn, got to experience the sold-out Hartwall Arena euphoria, when the Finnish floorball men´s team won the World Championships gold in December 2010, taking over the title from the beloved enemy, Sweden.


- The noise was tremendous throughout the game. The skin goes goose bumps still today when thinking back to the atmosphere at the final. I will never forget the moment when we got to raise the championship trophy in front of our own fans. I hope and believe that the Finnish women get to experience the same atmosphere at a full Hakametsä hall, "Mihu” counts on.


The General Secretary of the WFC 2015, Jeannette Good, is showing gratitude to the patron and ambassadors.

- We have succeeded in committing high profile people to support the World Championships and players. The patron as well as the ambassadors have a huge knowledge of which the whole floorball can benefit.  



Photos: Katri Hyväkkä (keskusta.fi), Jussi Eskola and Ville Vuorinen.