Hardly ever has the Defense Sports School received as much publicity as last spring, when the Finnish NBA star, basketball player Lauri Markkanen entered conscript service.
Read more: Such was Lauri Markkanen’s first int day
Read more: Lauri Markkanen, who entered the service, revealed the habit of cutting his hair – see the first pictures and video from Santahamin
The 26-year-old Utah Jazz star player completed his military service in Santahamina. Major news headlines included Markkanen’s Cooper test and the fact that when the president of the Republic and the Commander-in-Chief of the Defense Forces Sauli Niinistö heard about Markkanen joining the army, he arranged for him a fitness holiday for Independence Day on December 6.
It was also speculated whether Markkanen will have time to complete the necessary service days during the summer or whether he will still have to return to Santahamina.
No need to come back. Markkanen published on Friday on Instagram with the image subject identifier TJ0.
– Guard jäger Markkanen out! the basketball player wrote.
– Finland is safe! commented the football player representing Miami, Huuhkajien Robert Taylor.
Markkanen said in the spring that he entered the service with an open mind and that he considered completing it a matter of honor.
– This is a new challenge, something I have not done before. I don’t really know what to expect. Of course you hear stories, but you don’t know it yourself until you see it, Markkanen told about his mood in Santahamina on his first day in the army.
– I haven’t spent many nights in the forest, let’s see how it feels there. But I’m a person close to nature, so it won’t work out there.
Markkanen’s conscript service was huge news in North America as well. Among other things, it raised concerns, because in the United States it is not customary to visit the army.
– Yes, they understood that this is a mandatory thing that needs to be done. They laughed a bit when this is such an atypical thing for them, Markkanen commented on the attitude of his club Utah Jazz.
This is how the Sports School works
In the arrival batch that started in the spring, 230 athletes applied to the sports school, of which 99 were selected. The freshmen of the sports school operating in Helsinki and Kajaani in the April arrival batch were Winter Sports athletes.
The employees of the sports school are employed either in crew duties for 165 days or in leadership training for 347 days. The distribution of newbies to these tasks is about half and half.
Sports school recruits are granted sports commissions according to a personal training plan. Sports commissions are granted for a maximum of 95 days for those who have served 347 days, and for a maximum of 45 days for 165 days of service. Where the sports assignments are scheduled during the service period depends on the sport and on what time the competitions take place.
According to the Finnish Olympic Committee, in addition to the sports mandates, athletes are allocated 2–8 hours for training every day. In addition, the Sports School offers eight weeks of camp for training in the garrison or at sports colleges.
In the World Championships played in Okinawa, Japan, Markkanen was not at his best due to an exceptional summer.
– It hasn’t been the ideal training summer. I got a good workout, but of course I would have done things differently if I hadn’t been in the service, Markkanen said, but pointed out that he doesn’t want to look for excuses.
– The army has been something that has had to be taken care of. I have accepted it. Of course, a normal summer would have looked a little different, Markkanen reminded.
Markkanen’s arrival batch went home on Thursday. Director of the sports school, lieutenant colonel Ville Halonen commented to Helsingin Sanomat, that basically the army is performed continuously and the service is not divided into several years. When dividing into several parts, the reason is usually an injury.
Halonen was not surprised by the attention received by the Defense Forces.
– It was predictable that the athletes who were followed in this way would arouse interest, the lieutenant colonel told HS.
The next batch of arrivals at the Guard’s Jääkäririkmenti in Santahamina will begin on Monday, October 16. Sports school to the arrival batch of summer sports 86 athletes from 17 sports were selected. The list includes, among other things, the European Championship winner in pole vaulting Juho Alasaari.
Markkanen will start his second season in Utah’s shirt soon. The season starts on October 24. Last season, Markkanen was selected for the NBA’s all-star game. He averaged 25.6 points per season.