Snowboarder Ville Jukola is Espoo's Athlete of the Year

Snowboarder Ville Jukola, who broke through to the international level last year, was chosen as Espoo’s Athlete of the Year in 2025 He made his World Championships debut, competed in a World Cup event and placed second in the European Cup overall competition. Jukola started snowboarding at the age of four on the slopes of Serena Ski Resort, where his passion for the sport got its start.

Espoo Basket Team’s women’s first team was selected as Espoo’s Team of the Year. Last year, the team proved that it was one of Finland’s most committed and successful basketball teams. It won the bronze medal in the Finnish women’s basketball league at Tapiola Sports Hall. Espoo Basket Team was the only team in the women's basketball league to play the entire season without foreign players.

Espoo’s Role Model of the Year award went to MMA fighter Abdul Hussein, who serves as an example to young athletes of how a dream and working towards it can go a long way, regardless of background or other challenges. Hussein has been described as Finland’s most talented MMA fighter. He coaches young fighters at his home club Espoon Ring Hait ry, and wants to encourage them to persistently pursue their own dreams.

Two new athletes were inducted into the Espoo Hall of Fame

The fourth athlete inducted into the Hall of Fame is ice hockey player Timo Blomqvist. He is a product of Espoo Honka’s ice hockey school and served as captain of Finland first medal-winning national ice hockey team. During his career, Blomqvist played in the Finnish ice hockey league with Kiekko-Espoo, as well as in the Swedish League, NHL, Austria and Germany. As a member of the Finnish national team, he played at the World Championships in 1989 and the Albertville Olympic Games in 1992. He played a total of 202 Finnish hockey league matches, 243 NHL regular season games and 80 national team games.

The fifth athlete inducted into the Hall of Fame is sailor Tuuli Petäjä-Sirén. Espoo-based RS:X Olympic-class sailor Petäjä-Sirén was Finland’s most successful athlete at the 2012 Olympic Games in London. She won a silver medal at the Olympic Regatta. Petäjä-Sirén participated in a total of four Olympic Games during her sport career. After winning a silver medal at the Olympics, Petäjä-Sirén continued her sailing career for another 10 years. Other outstanding achievements included winning a European Championships bronze medal in 2012 and fourth place at the World Championships in Brazil the following year.

The first members of the Espoo Hall of Fame were announced at the 2023 Espoo Sports Gala, and they were ice hockey player Jere Lehtinen and cross-country skier Marjo Matikainen-Kallström. Tiina Lillak, who is Finland’s most successful female javelin thrower ever, became the third athlete inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2025.

Espoo Sports and Wellbeing Committee selected the recipients of the Young Athlete, Sports Club, Coach, and Sport Action of the Year for 2025

The Espoo Sports and Wellbeing Committee selected ice hockey goalkeeper Petteri Rimpinen as Young Athlete of the Year. He was a member of the team that won a silver medal at the U20 World Championships. He was selected best goalkeeper in the tournament and named to the All-Star Team. Rimpinen played more than 40 league matches for Kiekko-Espoo, becoming the team’s starting goalkeeper and one of the top goalkeepers in the league. During the summer, he was drafted by the NHL’s Los Angeles Kings. 

Espoo’s Sport Club of the Year award went to Cetus Espoo swimming club, which had an exceptionally successful year in 2025. The club’s athletes won a total of 118 championship medals during the summer. Several of the club’s athletes represented Finland at various international competitions (world, European and Nordic championships) in different swimming events. The club became the most successful swimming club in Finland by winning the Finnish Swimming Association’s overall long-course points competition for both adults and juniors in addition to dominating the age group and Rollo swimming competitions. Other highlights included a new Finnish record in the 4 x 50 metre mixed relay.

The club made water polo history by winning all possible championships in the junior and men’s divisions. It also won the Nordic club championship, Nordic Trophy, Finnish Cup and Finnish Beach Water Polo championships in both the men’s and women’s divisions. Cetus Espoo was also the most successful synchronised swimming club of the year, winning a total of 30 medals at Finnish championship and age group championships during spring and autumn 2025.

The Coach of the Year award went to karate coach Jouko Koskinen, who has coached dozens of European and world champions. Koskinen’s students won 11 medals at various world championships during the summer and 28 medals at the Finnish junior championships held in November. He has primary responsibility for coaching provided at the Espoo-based KFK Shukokai club, where the strong success of junior athletes has come under his guidance. Koskinen has made a permanent impact on karate in Espoo and Finland. He has been a pioneer in Finnish Shukokai karate, and is recognised above all as an exceptionally experienced and successful coach whose teaching style combines uncompromising technical expertise and a deep understanding of Shukokai karate traditions. Within the sport, his work is seen as patient, high-quality and productive.

The Sports and Wellbeing Committee selected the Espoon Liiga for U6–U9 age groups organised by Espoo-based football clubs as the 2025 Sport Action of the Year. The Sport Action of the Year represents the kind of smooth cooperation that Espoo is capable of at its best. The Sport Action of the Year enables safe, easily accessible and appropriate sports experiences for the smallest participants. Cooperation between the organising clubs has been excellent. The Espoo sports clubs involved in organising the Espoon Liiga league are: EPS, FC Honka, Kauklahden Pyrintö, FC Kasiysi, Leppävaaran Pallo, FC Espoo, HooGee, Westend Indians, Espoon Tikka, Pohjois-Espoon Ponsi, Sexy Pöxyt, Etelä-Espoon Pallo, and EBK.

Junior basketball tournament receives the Community Action of the Year in Espoo

The City of Espoo presented the Espoo Liikkuu community action and Espoo contributor awards.

The Espoo liikkuu Tournament received the Community Action of the Year award. Organised by Tapiola Honga, Espoo Basket Team and Leppävaara Pyrintö, the tournament has become one of Finland’s largest junior basketball events, where hundreds of teams and thousands of players are active and inspire the community together. The junior basketball tournament brought approximately 10,000 tournament visitors to Espoo. More than 1,000 matches were played at 51 locations. Over 500 Finnish teams and 21 international teams took part in the tournament.

The Espoo Liikkuu Community Action of the Year is awarded to a community that has promoted community spirit, physical activity and collective activities in Espoo.

The Espoo Contributor of the Year award went to ESBO IF athletics club chairman Anders Wikholm, who has played a key role in organising several major events in Espoo. These include the Stafettkarnevalen relay carnival, junior national team events, the U23 European Championships, national relay championships and, most recently, Kalevan kisat and the Nordic Indoor Athletics Championships in 2025. In addition, he has been involved in the Rantamaraton event since it began, helping to develop it into one of Espoo’s biggest physical activity events. He has also contributed to the development of Espoo as a member of Youth Division of the Growth and Learning Committee. Wikholm works with heart and passion, sacrificing a lot of his free time for the common good. His work is an inspiring example of volunteer activities that promote physical activity and well-being among Espoo residents.

The Espoo Contributor award is goes to a person who has a long history of influencing sport in Espoo and has done exceptionally significant volunteer work, especially in the field of athletics.

Read more about the athletes who enjoyed success in 2025 in our news item, which presents the athletes, teams and role models who were nominated in the public voting categories.

Elite sport in Espoo has earned its annual celebration. The success of Espoo athletes is a sign of the outstanding and long-term work being done in the city's clubs. Elite athletes are role models for children and young people, and sports events create a sense of community spirit.

“Thank you all for a wonderful and successful event and congratulate all our award recipients! The Espoo Sports Gala brings together top athletes and sports clubs from Espoo annually. The gala enables the celebration of Espoo's sporting spirit and fosters community spirit, while sports receive the recognition they deserve”, says Sports Director Martti Merra.