Student sports advocates receive recognition from the Minister of Youth, Sport and Physical Activity

The medal and cross recipients include a large number of people involved in university sports in different parts of Finland. Many recipients have also held positions of trust in both the Finnish Student Sports Federation and other sports organisations.

The Cross of Merit in Gold of the Finnish Sport was awarded to LL.Lic Juha Viertola, who served as Finnish Student Sports Federation’s president between the years 1989 and 1990 and has since worked in several Finnish and international sports federations and organisations, such as the Finnish Anti-Doping Commission, where he held the position of secretary general. Currently, Viertola works as the Executive Director of the Finnish Diabetes Association.

The Cross of Merit of the Finnish Sport was awarded to four people: Arto Ahola, who has served in several sports organisations and currently acts as the Executive Director of the Finnish Archery Association, Finnish Student Sports Federation’s senior special advisor for University Sport Jussi Ansala, Arto Tiihonen, who has held several sports policy positions over the years and currently works as a specialist at the Laurea university of applied sciences, and Finnish Olympic Committee specialist Jukka Tirri.

The Medal of Merit in silver with a golden cross was awarded to Antti Afflekt, Katja Arpalo, Saara Karkulahti, Henri Latonen, Carl Myrberg, Kirsi Mänty, Timo Simonen and Esko Tirkkonen.

Medals of Merit were awarded to Heli Aalto, Jani Erkkonen, Aki Hentilä, Petri Kuokkanen, Essi Kähkönen, Sini Niskala, Janne Pakarinen, Pekka Petäkoski, Maija Rihko, Sirpa Risto, Hanna Savander, Erkki Somervuo, Marika Syväoja, Markku Tamminen, Henna Törmänen and Mika Vettainen.

“Finnish Student Sports Federation wishes to congratulate the awardees and to thank them and everyone else involved in the advocacy work for academic sports in student organisations, at institutes of higher education and across the entire field of sports”, says Finnish Student Sports Federation president Mio Kortelainen.

Additional information:

Regarding awards: President Mio Kortelainen, 0447800211, mio.kortelainen@oll.fi

Regarding the anniversary celebrations: Nicklas Nyman , anniversary coordinator, 0445256962, nicklas.nyman@oll.fi

The Ministry of Education and Culture’s announcement on the awarding of the crosses and medals of merit
Information on the centenary of academic sports and the Finnish Student Sports Federation