The men’s national volleyball team’s place in next year’s World Championships did not come as a surprise to the team. Finland’s ranking was good enough throughout the summer that it was at least a middle defender Petteri in the Pacific already after the end of the Golden League, there was a strong belief in the prestigious competition place.
– It would be a big deal if I could get there to play against the world’s best and show my own skills, 21-year-old Tyynismaa, one of the youngest players on the team, said.
Finnish men qualified for the World Championships for the third time in the 2000s. In the 2014 Games in Katowice, Poland, the current head coach of the national team Olli Kunnari was involved as a player and led the team to the hardest ranking in history, instead of ninth.
The World Championships is the sport’s biggest tournament after the Olympics, so according to Kunnar, it is an important screen spot for both the team and the players.
– Everyone who follows volleyball has their eyes on the World Cup. It gives players opportunities to take steps forward. This way they get to even better clubs, play in better leagues and get big responsible roles, Kunnari said and also reminded about the importance of ranking points.
– In the World Championships, there is an opportunity to get a lot more of them and to get big jumps even with the Olympics in mind.
I like the tough competition
The International Volleyball Federation changed its competition calendar a year ago so that the World Cup will be played every other year from 2025. Previously, the World Cup competitions were played every four years. Next year’s World Championship will be hosted by the Philippines, which is ranked 64th in the world. Finland’s ranking in the same list is 23rd.
According to Kunnar, the Finnish team’s next summer’s program is slowly being put in place. Before the September games, the team camps closely and plays in the Golden League. The head coach expects that the battle for playing spots will be tough, as Finland currently has a fairly even and young group.
Tyynismaa gets new motivation from the World Cup. He had to miss the previous European Championships after being injured in the finishing camp.
– The competition for playing spots is fierce, and that’s only good because it raises the level of training beyond comprehension. Everyone wants to show the coach that they belong on the field, Tyynismaa assured.
Not just to participate
Director of Sports at the Volleyball Association Tapio Kangasniemi knows the value of a place in the World Cup, because at that time the best volleyball in the world is played in Manila. It is a place where Finland must be involved.
– However, we don’t just want to participate in the games. Of course, we want to take the game in the desired direction of success, Kangasniemi said.
Finland was not involved when the 2022 world championships were played in Poland and Slovenia. The team, on the other hand, has been a long-term visitor at the European Championships, and Finland will automatically participate in the 2026 Games as a competition organizer.
According to Kangasniemi, choices have been made in Finnish volleyball since the 1990s with the top sport first. In Finland, potential players have been offered centralized coaching center activities like in big countries. This has been reflected in the success of the national teams in the young age groups as well. This summer, both under-20 and under-18 girls and boys made it to the EC final tournament.
– We have been able to continue operations over the years, and the red thread has not been able to slip out of hand for too long, Kangasniemi said.
Money cannot buy motivated athletes
Financial difficulties have been very hard on kaske in recent years, but in volleyball there has been no need to stop the top sport. Kangasniemi reminds us that money doesn’t buy everything in top sports.
– Money cannot buy motivated athletes. It comes from something else, for example people and operating culture. It can be boosted without euros, Kangasniemi said.
– The core question is whether we get the right people in the right places. Fortunately, we’ve had them all along. Been there sometimes Mauro Berruto type of person to spar with us, and sometimes there is someone “crazy” Tuomas Sammelvuo or Tommi Tiilikainen found. We have to continue this chain in the coming years as well.
Of course, money is needed, but according to Kangasniemi, you have to get to the next level in thinking: what are the real things that you need to invest in in activities, training or games. There is always room for improvement, and a country the size of Finland cannot rest on its laurels.
According to Kangasniemi, reaching the prestigious tournament keeps Finland very aware of what is happening in international volleyball, what others are doing and how coaching is developing. Finland also competes with other countries for coaching expertise.
– With that in mind, we are in a good position that we have such a younger generation of coaches coming up. They are really curious and want to improve, and that’s what we need. Athletes do come from there, when the operating environment is otherwise motivated.