SINGAPORE – Even in Singapore’s 30 deg C heat, Kari Sandell is donning two shirts – a Finland floorball jersey and a second bearing Finnish Formula One driver Valtteri Bottas’ name.
Such is his love for his country’s athletes. Kari and his wife Marja, who are both in their 60s, are avid sports fans whose passion has taken them around the world.
They have travelled around Europe for various men’s and women’s World Floorball Championships, F1 and rallying races.
Sales manager Kari has also caught F1 races in Singapore and Shanghai, and returned to the Republic this week with Marja, a school assistant who also plays floorball, Finnish baseball and football recreationally, to support Finland at the ongoing Women’s World Floorball Championship.
He said: “We travel quite a lot to see Finnish sports, so ice hockey, football, or Formula One. This is an interest we have and sports is very close to our hearts. We play and our children have been playing football, floorball and ice hockey, so that makes us keen to come.”
This week’s tournament is also significant for the couple as they have a personal connection. Finnish defender My Kippila, who used to play with their daughter for a club in their home town of Porvoo, is part of the squad in Singapore.
Kari and Marja are not the only die-hard supporters in the stands at the OCBC Arena. Some have been decked out in creative costumes and armed with their countries’ flags. Several Australians, meanwhile, have come with props like inflatable kangaroos.
After watching the last two men’s world championships in Helsinki and Zurich, German Tim Adam decided to fly to Singapore to catch the women’s event with some clubmates from Darmstadt Dukes, located near Frankfurt.
For the mechanical engineer, this was an opportunity to support the German team while also exploring a different city and culture.
Said the 35-year-old: “We like to play and watch the sport, sometimes international games... It’s an adventure. For us, it’s the first time in Singapore and the first time for me to be in Asia. Some people will think it’s a bit crazy to go for one week for something like this, but we said why not? We like to travel and it’s fun.
“I like it. It’s very difficult to compare it (with other world championships) because it’s a completely other culture and every city and country is different. But I think it’s well-organised, what we see until now, and everybody is very friendly.”
Mechanical engineer Andre Aeschbacher has been a floorball referee for 30 years and often attends league games back home in Switzerland. No wonder he packed his bags and landed at Changi Airport on Dec 2 to support the Swiss.
The 54-year-old, who also came to visit his Filipina girlfriend, said: “I’ve been supporting the Swiss national team when we hosted the (women’s) world championships (in 2019).
“I also play this sport – I’ve been a referee for floorball for 30 years. In the place I live, there’s a team (Wizards Bern Burgdorf) in the highest league, so I watch some very good games for women and men.”
For Stephane Pintus, also coincidentally an engineer, this world championship has special significance. France were making their debut at this level and could count on a group of 15 to 20 compatriots cheering them on.
The 50-year-old said: “It’s the first time we have a national team in a world championship, so we need to support them.”
