The on-court success of Finland’s men’s basketball team in particular is behind the rising popularity of the sport.
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Lauri Markkanen scores a basket against Germany at last year’s EuroBasket tournament. Image: Tomi Hänninen / Yle
The number of people registered to play basketball in Finland has reached a record high level, according to Basketball Finland.
Nearly 23,000 people applied for a playing license last year, breaking the previous record set during the 2023-2024 season.
The association partly attributes this increase to last autumn’s EuroBasket, which was hosted in Finland. The men’s national team, the wolf pack or Susijengi in Finnish, finished fourth in the tournament — one of the best results in the team’s history.
The largest growth in participation has been seen among children under the age of 10. At the same time, women’s participation in basketball increased by seven percent compared to the previous season.
“It is great to see that the growth of basketball is visible on so many levels,” the association CEO, Kati Packalén, said.