Metsä Group will continue to act as the main cooperation partner in children’s athletics and as the sponsor of the Metsä Club Competitions. Metsä Group and the Finnish Athletics Federation have signed a four-year cooperation agreement from 2025 to 2028. At the core of the cooperation are the national Metsä Club Competitions for children and young people. More than 500 club competitions are held annually in different parts of Finland. They gather more than 25,000 participants.
“The experience and skills gained in sports are not restricted to the field – they are important throughout one’s life. Metsä Group wants to promote opportunities for children and young people to engage in sports at a low threshold. The goal is to support everyday wellbeing and create the preconditions for a healthy and active way of life,” says Katariina Saelan, SVP, Communications, Metsä Group.
Metsä Group has been the sponsor of the Metsä Club Competitions for 5- to 15-year-olds since 2022. The club competitions are a form of competition at the local level in which children and young people are encouraged to engage in diverse activities throughout Finland safely and joyfully. The competition days are events for the whole family, where parents can also participate in official duties.
“I’m especially glad that Metsä Group wants to provide children and young people the opportunity to try and learn the basics of sports: running, jumping and throwing. The four-year extension agreement is significant for us and enables long-term cooperation for the development of Metsä Club Competitions,” says Harri Aalto, CEO of the Finnish Athletics Federation.