Finnish representatives join international student sport umbrella organisations

Atte Kolehmainen has been elected as a member of the European University Sports Association (EUSA) student commission for the 2024–2025 term. The commission consists of a chairperson, a secretary and five appointed members. The main aims of the commission are to ensure that students’ interests in EUSA are protected and to make recommendations to the EUSA executive committee on the development, implementation and promotion of student participation in non-sports activities. The members will meet in July at the EUSA Games, which will be held this year in Hungary, in the cities of Debrecen and Miskolc.

“Because of my age, this was my last chance to apply for the EUSA student commission, and I’m the oldest member of the commission. It was kind of a surprise that I was chosen, actually, but the selection letter made it clear that experience gained in the home country, for example in sports events, was particularly valued. This summer we’re going to the EUSA Games, so there’ll be some great experiences in store. It’s great to be able to represent Finland and the Finnish Student Sports Federation internationally for the next two years,” says Kolehmainen, who served as OLL Vice President in 2023.

Several Finnish representatives in FISU

Lari Koskinen, who also served as OLL’s vice president in 2023, was elected for the 2024–2027 term to the student committee of the International University Sports Federation (FISU), an umbrella organisation for student sports. The student committee is composed of eight representatives. The committee’s tasks include supporting student sport and student participation in sport and promoting the role of students in bodies belonging to FISU. Koskinen was also elected to the gender equality committee through the student committee.

Tia Saharinen was elected as Finland’s country representative for the FISU Volunteer Leader’s Academy (FVLA) for 2024. The purpose of the annually organised FVLA, which typically has around one hundred participants, is to provide students with an international pathway to develop as leaders and to improve student sports opportunities both in Finland and internationally. After the FVLA, participants will be appointed as student representatives to FISU.

“It’s really important that we have representatives from Finland in international umbrella organisations for student sports. It provides a valuable experience for the student representatives themselves and strengthens international partnership between the federations by allowing us to exchange knowledge,” says OLL Secretary General Niko Peltokangas.

In addition to the student representatives, Finland is represented in FISU by Aku Nikander in the education committee, Tapio Kallio as the vice-chairman of the medical committee and Markku Vauhkonen as the chairperson of the technical committee of ski orienteering.

Read more about the EUSA student commission here, about the FISU committees here and about the FISU academy of sport management here.

More information
Niko Peltokangas
Secretary General
niko.peltokangas@oll.fi / +358 44 780 0210