Finland is applying for the 2027 Women’s European Championship with a joint application with Lithuania. The host country of the Games will be decided at the Fiba European Board meeting in November.
Finland is applying for the 2027 European Women’s Basketball Championship with a joint application with Lithuania. According to the application, Finland will organize the initial group stage of the European Championships in the Espoo arena, which has served as Susijeng’s home base for the past four years. In addition to the initial group stage, playoffs are planned for Lithuania.
The European Championship search is progressing with evaluations by the International Basketball Federation Fiba and familiarization visits, which Fiba will carry out during the fall of 2023. Fiba’s European board will meet to decide on the European Championship host in November 2023.
– We welcome the women’s basketball EC competitions to Espoo. We would be really happy if we could organize women’s basketball and its prize competitions here, says Espoo’s director of sports Martti Merra.
– The Finnish Koris has a good drive. Susigengi is often in the headlines, but other areas also have many successes. Only a few are aware that Finland has risen to 15th place in the world ranking in the girls’ basket with its improved grips. And there is potential for the future as well, praises the head of coaching of the Finnish Loreball Association Henrik Dettmann.
This summer, Finland has performed well in international prestigious competitions by sensationally taking the Universiade bronze and the fourth place in the European Championships for girls under 16 years of age, which secured a place in the World Championships for 17-year-old women in 2024.
In addition to the success in the competition, young Finnish female basketball players have garnered attention on an individual level. Having a WNBA career Awak Kuierin in addition, there have been headlines, among others, who played an excellent college career at Georgia Tech and now moved to the Spanish league Lotta-Maj Lahtinen as well as the 2023 WU18 girls point queen Elina Aarnisalo.
Finland has already received the organizing rights for the 18-year-old men’s European Championships in Tampere in 2024 and the first group of the men’s European Championships in 2025.
President of the Finnish Basketball Association Timo Elo reminded at the press conference about the opening group of the men’s European Championship held in Finland in 2017. It was a great success with the public and further increased Susijeng’s popularity. The same is now hoped for on the women’s side.
Dettmann stated that all people have dreams.
– Every basketball player’s dream is to play in the European Championship or the World Championship in front of the home crowd.