Porvoo in Finland is hosting a special double-event with both the women’s and men’s EuroHockey Indoor Club Challenge II tournaments taking place this weekend.
The home club will be competing in the women’s competition with club captain and president Anne-Maarit Anttonen hoping it can be launchpad to promote the sport to wider audience. They are in a three-team tournament with Hungary’s BGDSE FASOR and Norway’s Sagene, the latter becoming the country’s first ever female entry.
On the men’s side, HT-85 are the Finnish side making the short trip from Hämeenlinna to play in a five-team tournament with Norway’s Oslo SK, Lithuania’s Baltic Champs, Georgia’s Bluehawks and Bulgaria’s FHC Slavia 1921.
** Click here for the women’s match schedule – further info on squad lists is available on the “More Info” tab
** Click here for the men’s match schedule – further info on squad lists is available on the “More Info” tabe
Find out more about each of the team’s involved:
Women’s EuroHockey Indoor Club Challenge II – team by team background
Porvoo (Finland) – pictured above
Porvoo are hosting the competition having won the Finnish title in 2024 for the second time while this will be their third Euro indoor campaign having played in Belgrade in 2020 and Puconci in 2021 in Challenge II.
Almost all players of their club has experience of international games with captain Anne-Maarit Anttonen bringing the most experience to the table.
She is also the club president and is proud to bring the event to the club: “It’s a great feeling to have the EuroHockey tournament in Finland and here in Porvoo. Hockey is not a well-known sport in Porvoo, and I look forward to the fact that the residents of our city will get to see what it’s really all about when we bring international competitions to our home villages.
“Organising the tournament has been an interesting experience, and a lot of new things have been learned along the way. Next week we’ll see how we manage to host the tournament. I’m looking forward to exciting games and a great hockey event when we get men and women in the same tournament. I hope for happy encounters between hockey players.
“The international games have been quite a ride for Porvoo Hockey Club. However, we try to stay involved in the game and the sport, learning something new from each tournament that we can take to the Finnish leagues. Of course, we go to every match to fight and give our full contribution.
I hope all the visiting teams have a good time in Porvoo and we will have a memorable tournament.
The club topped the regular season competition with a perfect record but just missed out on the overall title at the hands of Valhalla last weekend.
BKGDSE-FASOR (Hungary)
In preparation, the club hosted an international tournament in which they finished second behind AHC. They are also sitting second – on goal difference – behind the same team after six rounds of league matches in their domestic league.
18-year-old Boglárka Györfi and Zsuzsanna Tóth are their top scorers this season and their panel features nine of the players who were involved a year ago when they finished in seventh place in Challenge I in Murska Sobota.
It is an exceptionally young side with eight teenagers in the squad while their most experienced trio are all 25 – captain Réka Orbók, goalkeeper Andrea Bálint and Tóth.
Sagene IF (Norway)
Sagene will make their women’s debut in European hockey and they do it with a squad that is almost all new to this kind of tournament. Indeed, it is the first time any Norwegian club has entered a women’s European club competition.
Only former Lithuanian underage international Gabrielė Jakunčikovaitė has played in a Euro club indoor event before, helping Ginstrekte to promotion in 2023 in Challenge I in Skierniewice.
She is one of three Lithuanians with the club along with players from the Netherlands, Germany, South Africa, New Zealand and Poland.
Men’s EuroHockey Indoor Club Challenge II – team by team background
FHC Slavia 1921 (BUL)
FHC Slavia 1921 – the oldest club in Bulgaria – has won the title seven times in their country including the last four years being national champions. We have several competitors with extensive international experience.
“The boys have been preparing tirelessly for this tour and we hope to show it all on the pitch. I love what I do,” says Stefan Chavdarov coach of Slavia.
This will be the club’s second visit to Finland; their outdoor side played in Helsinki in 2018. Their last three European appearances indoors have seen them finish seventh at events in Portugal, Bulgaria and Italy in Challenge I.
Oslo SK (NOR)
For Oslo SK, they have been Norwegian champions 10 times and are looking to celebrate their 50th anniversary season in style – the first club in their country to reach that milestone.
Key players include Ammad Khan, Shehryar Hussain, Sammiullah Khan, Kamran Ashraf, and Thomas Vasiluta, all of whom bring extensive experience to the team. Several of them have international exposure and have previously competed in European club tournaments.
“I’m really looking forward to this tournament in Porvoo,” says captain Shehryar Hussain. “It’s always exciting to compete at a high level, and I know this event will bring great energy, passion, and sportsmanship. As a team, we are ready to give our best and enjoy the experience. I can’t wait to step onto the field and be part of what promises to be an unforgettable competition!”
The club is home for over 20 years to the Oslo Cup, Scandinavia’s largest field hockey tournament, fostering the growth of the sport in the region.
A particularly special aspect of this tournament is that some of OSK’s founding members will be present in Porvoo, supporting and motivating the team as they aim for success. Their presence is a testament to the club’s strong legacy and commitment to the future of hockey in Norway.
Bluehawks (Georgia)
Bluehawks will be making their formal debut in European men’s indoor competition as Georgian hockey returns to the competition after a four-year break. They do have a trip of players who have lined out before on this stage before with captain Toko Tevdoradze, Dato Kaladze and Mishka Gogishvili all played for Tbilisi in 2018 on their home court.
Otherwise, it is a new look team with a healthy homegrown contingent augmented by Lesley Matipedza from Zimbabwe, Tahir Shah from Pakistan and Walther Larsen from Denmark in the submitted panel.
Baltic Champs (Lithuania)
Baltic Champs are playing in European men’s indoor competition for the third time since 2020 with the Širvintos club travelling north having finished sixth in Challenge I in 2023.
Seven of their current panel have been part of those previous two campaigns in Europe in which Žygimantas Balsiukas has run up 16 goals in 11 outings. Indeed, virtually all of their panel has experienced this kind of competition before and they look forward to being competitive.
They finished the first round of the Lithuanian league in second place and started the second round with a 4-1 win over Siauliai to build into this competition in nice shape.
Hockey Team 85 (Finland)
HT 85 will be hoping a group of fans make the 110km trip from Hämeenlinna to Porvoo to get behind their campaign.
Last year, they finished in eighth place in Challenge I in Ferrara, Italy and they have virtually the same panel as then to use for this experience. The one new addition is 17-year-old Joonatan Ojala.
Aaron Lehmus, Santeri Määttânen and Tuomas Mäkinen are likely to be key goalscorers in their side; they helped their club to third place in the Finnish championship, edging out Klippari for the bronze medal.
