Top European badminton will return to Finland next year when the Nordic nation will host two European Championships during spring.
The first of these top events will take place in February when the best men's and women's teams in Europe will be crowned at the European Men’s and Women’s Team Championships (EMWTC) and then in April, an unprecedented spectacle is upon us when the flagship event the European Championships, will be played for the first time in Finland. The best male and female players in Europe will be crowned in Vantaa.
-Badminton Finland wants to make badminton the sports phenomenon of this decade in Finland and international top events are at the very core of implementing our strategy. Top events also play a major role in developing the Finnish badminton clubs. We believe that next year COVID-19 will be under control and we can offer Finnish badminton clubs and sports fans the opportunity to see the best players in Europe and the world on-site in these great home tournaments, says Ville Valorinta, CEO of Badminton Finland.
-Our co-operation with the City of Vantaa has intensified year by year and I am really glad that the European badminton crown jewel will be hosted specifically in Vantaa. Energia Areena as the venue makes it possible to host a top-level event for Europe’s brightest stars, partners and badminton fans, he continues.
Hosting the European Championships means an economic impact of approximately 400,000 euros to the Vantaa economic area.
-The European Championships are the culmination of a long collaboration between Vantaa and Badminton Finland. We are very pleased to have the competition at the Vantaa Energia Areena, which has already proven its functionality as the best indoor sports arena in Finland, comments Veli-Matti Kallislahti, Sports Director of Vantaa.
The Energia Arena, located in Myyrmäki and completed in 2006, is a 2500-square-meter multi-purpose hall with a spectator capacity of 3500. In addition to sporting events, the hall hosts trade fairs and concerts. Energy Arena has been awarded the Ministry of Education Sports Place of the Year Award.
The 2022 European Championships will be played in Vantaa, Finland 25-30 April.