Four more days to go till Kazan! The 2018 European Men & Women Team Championships are getting closer! The men of team Finland are ready for action!
In 2014 Finland’s men’s team surprised friend and enemy by taking a bronze medal during the 2014 European Men Team Championships. During the group stage, Finland beat the fourth seeded Russian men. In the quarter finals, it was Sweden who went down for Finland.
The players of team Finland are eager to get the same result of four years ago, or even better. While they might have been the underdog in 2014, the Finnish men are one of the favourites of this year.
As seventh seeded they are placed in group 7 which is the largest group of the tournament. They will encounter Latvia, Turkey, Norway and Estonia in the first three days of the tournament.
Read: Russia aim to match 2014 final
Win the group stage
Anton Kaisti made the decisive point that secured Finland a historic medal in 2014. This year he is again part of the Finnish men’s team. He agrees that his team should at least full fill their seeding position.
‘Our expectations for the tournament are to win our group. A loss in the group stage would be very disappointing’ Kaisti commented to Badminton Europe.
Kaisti states his further hopes for the tournament.
‘After the group stage, we will try to repeat what we did in 2014: To get a medal’.
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Great team spirit
However, it depends who they will face in the quarter final if a medal is achievable. ‘Denmark would be very hard to beat’ according to Kaisti.
His team mate, CoE-player Iikka Heino (pictured above, photo by: Mark Phelan), shares the same expectation for the tournament.
‘I hope we will win our group and then fight everything what we have for medal’
Heino is looking forward to Kazan.
‘We have good team and great team spirit!’
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