On Saturday, the under-16 girls’ national team secured the first championship in the history of the Finnish basketball competition.
Jaakko Servo,
Riku Porvari
Finland’s under-16 girls’ national basketball team celebrated European Championship gold on Saturday by defeating reigning European champion France in the final.
The European Championship gold in question was the second prestigious medal ever in Finnish basketball history, including all national teams. The first competition medal came last year, when the women’s team won bronze at the students’ Universiade.
Head coach of under-16 girls Jussi Räikkä has been working on the backgrounds of the girls’ national basketball team for a long time. In last year’s European Championships, the team was only one point away from the bronze medal, losing to Italy. Now the team achieved a key performance at the most difficult moment.
– There is a bit of confusion here. It has been known for a long time that if we get a good performance, we will be able to knock on the medal positions. The confusing thing is that when it comes the first time, we immediately win the championship. We still have to chew on that, head coach Räikkä expressed the atmosphere from the airport.
– It’s humbling to know what kind of people are involved in this, and how much work many have done. Then there’s the fact that you get to be a part of the group that harvests the fruits of this long work, so it makes me humble, Räikkä, who has been involved in the activity since 2007, added.
The best defensive teams in the final
Finland’s defense was at its best in the key moments of the final. Team captain Alina Nikkilä among other things, made a save that was important for the win at the end of the match.
– We were actually in the lead the whole time. France maybe felt a little pressure because they were European champions last year. We just defended hard and took care of the game for ourselves, captain Nikkilä said in an interview with Urheilu.
Somewhat exceptionally for a basketball match, quite a few baskets were scored in the final. France fell in the final match with a score of 49–47. Räikkä says it was due to the teams’ good defensive play.
– Both teams defended well, we were certainly the two best defensive teams in the tournament. At the same time, you have to remember that this is about 15-16-year-old young athletes who are playing for the European Championship for the first time in their lives. Yes, it’s a fun place for both Finns and French. It must have contributed to the fact that some baskets were not born.
Both coach and captain Nikkilä agree that the team was united and all players had their own role.
– We had a really good team spirit and a versatile lineup. Playing time and minutes were distributed to everyone, and our game did not revolve around just a couple of players. I think that was an important part of the victory, Nikkilä said.
– Yes, it all starts with commitment and dedication and the fact that a group of people gathers around a common goal and does everything to achieve those goals, Räikkä agreed.
Karaoke in the bathtub
After securing the championship, the team headed to the hotel, where the party started in earnest. In the morning, we had to leave for the airport and return to Finland.
– We had a similar karaoke party. We went to the big bathtub downstairs in the hotel. It echoed as we sang and celebrated, the captain revealed the team’s golden celebration.
Räikkä said that the coaching management’s celebration was not quite as raucous.
– We mostly gave players parties. We finally managed to sleep for a few hours before leaving for the airport.
The team traveled to Finland on Sunday, where the players and team members will meet their families properly.
– When you get home here, you’ll probably get congratulations face-to-face as well. That’s when you probably start to understand what has happened and what we have become. We have made history, Nikkilä said.
– I would think that the success of this team will be taken into account during the fall. I don’t know exactly what has to come, but we will see, head coach Räikkä said.
The European championships were organized in Hungary.