Yesterday Finnish Juniors won the world championship under 20 in ice hockey. The sport is a big thing in Finland. These are times when we feel really proud to be a Finn. At least those who watch the sport. Juniors proved young people really can achieve something great if they put their mind to it. Hard work will pay off.

I don’t watch ice hockey as much as I like to since it’s not televised on free channels but when it comes to world championships, I don’t miss a match. At least not when Finland plays. These tournaments are always exciting. Sometimes you win and sometimes you lose. That’s what makes sport in general so exciting. You never know what will happen.

Ice hockey is part of Finnish culture. It brings the people together. And unfortunately with alcohol for some. We win together and we lose together. Finns don’t usually show emotions in public. But boy when Finland wins, there’s no stopping. No matter how cold it is outside, a championship win makes us all warm inside.

Next time it’s time for the men later in the year. It’s been a while since Finland won a world championships there. Maybe the win for the juniors will motivate others to try even harder.