The lion girls’ home championship in Vierumäki and Heinola, from 29 December 2012 to 5 January 2013, is proudly participating in the clean sport campaign of international sporting events. Fair play will be on display on the rink and in the stands, and the lion girls will be led toward victory by a supporters’ competition that will liven up the stands.
The Ice Hockey U18 Women’s World Championship, now being organised for the sixth time, has competitors from eight countries: Canada, Sweden, Germany, Finland, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Russia and the USA. Today at the opening of the championship, Lotte Uutinen, Chairman of the Finnish Student Sports Federation, handed over the Golden Baton of Clean Sport to Tuula Puputti, Secretary General of the Championship, as a symbol of the challenge to play a fair game.
– It has been a pleasure to accept the Golden Baton from the Wrestling Federation and to demonstrate the commitment of students to promote clean sport. Of course, it is an even greater pleasure to pass this joyful message onward to ice hockey and the girls’ ice hockey world championship, says Lotte Uutinen.
– We got to be a part of a true first line when we were given the honour of accepting the Golden Baton of Clean Sport. Hockey players at the Finnish championship level have already worked together to take a stand for clean sport, and now we are spreading the message at the girls’ international championship. The slogan of the championship is “Sytytä tähti – Light up a Star!” It encourages the girl hockey players playing in their first top-class championship to shine like bright and daring stars and also to encourage their teammates to achieve their best game performance. The best game performance must also undoubtedly be a clean performance, says Tuula Puputti.
At the World Championship event, you should keep your eyes on the stands as well as the rink, as there will also be a competition between different supporter groups. The groups of supporters can cheer on the lion girls with the songs, chants, costumes and other props of their choice. At each match where Finland is playing, the loudest team of supporters will be awarded with Clean Win programme prizes at the end of the game. The overall winner will receive tickets to a 2013 men’s world championship game in Helsinki.
The fair play challenge campaign for international sports events organised in Finland is a part of the Clean Win programme. The golden baton challenges its receiver to promote clean sport and to commit to its values. The golden baton has already travelled around in Finland at the European Youth Olympic festival in 2009, the Floorball World Championships 2010, the World Synchronized Skating Championships and the Enduro World Championships Team Competition in 2011 and the European Airgun Championships, WMA Indoor Championships and the Olympic Qualification Tournament of Wrestling and the World University Wrestling Championships in 2012.
The Clean Win Programme information desk will be on location on Saturday 5 January at Heinola’s Versowood arena during the matches. At the desk, everyone can sign the grand petition on behalf of clean sport. Athletes can test their knowledge on 4 January in Vierumäki at WADA’s Play True Antidoping Quiz. The Clean Win Programme of FINADA and Fazer honours clean athletes and the values of a fair game, challenging Finns interested in sports, sporting organisations, people close to athletes and athletes themselves to join in the fair game.
Further information:
Susanna Sokka
FINADA Information Manager
Mobile +358 (0)40 740 7477
Tuula Puputti
2013 Ice Hockey U18 Women’s World Championship, Secretary General
Mobile +358 (0)40 542 9540
Lotte Uutinen
Finnish Student Sports Federation (OLL) – Chairman
Mobile +358 (0)40 780 0211
Internet: www.finhockey.fi, team bios for supporters’ competitions at leijonat.fi