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One man’s passion for floorball brings him to Fuengirola to promote the game, which is beginning to turn heads.
Tuomas Korhonen of Swedish / Finnish origins, is promoting the most popular team sport in Finland in the hope it takes off also in Fuengirola. The Council and Los Boliches School have been highly supportive in the promotion of the game. A new multisport flooring has been installed in the school, which is a game changer and makes it possible to play the game safely.
He sees floorball (or, unihockey as it is sometimes called) as the perfect antidote to both kids and adults not wanting to get into sports because of the overly competitive nature. ‘I think the most important thing is to have fun in sports, and many just want to do that. The game is a low-entry sport: low in costs and easy to start.’
Currently, Tuomas is coaching the Danish men’s national floorball team after having trained several other national teams previously, as well as in the North American Floorball league. Living in Fuengirola and so near to Malaga airport is perfect for him, as it has so many different destinations. The sport is still young and still gaining more and more players each year; promoting it has taken Tuomas to dozens of countries.
Credit: shulers – Shutterstock
Similar to hockey in appearance, floorball is officially a five-a-side game with goalies, although Tuomas tells the Euro Weekly News that matches of 2-a-side, 3-a-side, or ‘why not?’ even 20-a-side can be played for fun. Adjusting the size of the field makes it action-packed and as intense as players want. There are 2 goals at each end, approximately the size of ice hockey goals. To start playing is easy and cheap. Players use a €15 stick similar in shape to a hockey stick but shorter, much lighter, and less dangerous to move a 24-gram ball and attempt to score a goal. The pro players use light-weight carbon sticks with shots gaining speed up to 200 km/h. Goalies are not always used in non-professional matches, but when they are, it can be good to have a pair of goggles to protect the eyes, all in all adding to this being one of the lowest-cost ball sports there is.
Tuomas explains that it’s great for kids and families as it has none of the aggressive competitiveness of other sports; it is cheap to get into; and it focusses the brain, boosting hand-eye coordination. He also mentions that he has even trained kids with ADHD and autism, and they took to the game instantly just as any other child.
Credit: Tuomas Korhonen
At Los Boliches School in Fuengirola, where the Fuengirola Lions In-Line hockey team now trains, he shows us the new specialised tile surface ideal for both skates and playing floorball, as he describes how the game works and how this type of surface reduces the risk from running accidents significantly. ‘I think the best sport for youngsters is all sports; most important is to find a sport one is willing to continue with. I was playing all kinds of sports in my youth.’
‘We are having open days starting in November, on Sundays every afternoon from 1pm to 4pm at Los Boliches School, playing all types of games. Everyone is welcome to join our active open day.’
Tuomas is hoping to put on some events in the near future to showcase the sport to locals in the Costa del Sol and encourage more people to take up this highly accessible game to people of all ages and abilities.