Does a shopping center serve as the host venue for a European Championship? The answer seems to be yes when we ask the audience, organizer and passers-by. The European Squash Championship runs in Helsinki until Saturday.
It is a somewhat unusual sight that meets those who visit the fourth floor of the shopping center in Böle this week.
On the event square there is a square box several meters high, a squash court. Around it rise two bleachers where spectators can follow athletes hitting the ball against the transparent and blue walls inside the field.
This is part of the European Squash Championships which are running inside the shopping center until Saturday.
That the championships are organized here in the shopping center is a strategic choice, says Mika Monto, who is the director of the championships.
– We want to take the branch to the people. Gaining visibility for the branch is very important to us and we want to make the branch more familiar to the public. Those who are young today may not be familiar with the branch.
Here you can listen to a feature from the championships:
The European Squash Championships moved into the shopping center in Böle
Perfect location, but a lot of work
According to Monto, the shopping center in Böle is perfect for a championship, especially considering that it is a central and lively place where a lot of people move.
– The event square is suitable in terms of size. Not too big, such as an ice rink, but also not so small that the event would not be possible to organize, says Monto.
Still, there are challenges with organizing an event inside a mall. Among other things, questions concerning security.
Organizing the EC inside the shopping center was a strategic choice to increase the visibility of the sport, says Mika Monto who is the director of the championships.
Image: Rebecka Svedberg / Yle
squash,Squash damer,squashspelare,Mall of Tripla
The shopping center in Böle is open 24 hours a day and the organizers cannot set up everything needed for the event on a daily basis. In addition, the organizers have had to think carefully about how the construction of the field and the stands will go about.
Monto says that there has been a lot to think about.
– The amount of work has at least tripled in comparison if the championships had been arranged in a squash hall. But we are very happy to do it for the sake of visibility and fortunately we can do it.
The size of the championship also affects whether it is possible to organize the EC inside the shopping centre. Around 200 athletes from 21 countries participate in the championship.
The first match played inside the shopping center was Finland against France.
Image: Rebecka Svedberg / Yle
squash,Squash damer,squashspelare,Mall of Tripla
Working concept also according to audience
When the Yle Capital Region visits the shopping center on Thursday morning, the first match of the day is about to start. Finland against France, and it is the countries’ women’s teams that are pitted against each other.
Surrounded by about ten people in the stands, Marjo Koskinen sits tensely before the match. She has traveled to Helsinki just to accompany the EC.
– I have been waiting for this for a very long time. It is great that the championships can now be held in Helsinki.
Marjo Koskinen has been waiting for the championship for a long time, after the competition was inhibited in 2021 due to the corona pandemic.
Image: Rebecka Svedberg / Yle
squash,Squash damer,squashspelare,Mall of Tripla
That the championship is organized inside a shopping center seems like a working concept, she thinks. In addition, it is a short distance from Böle to Talihallen, where the rest of the matches are played.
– So far everything has worked well. Here, people are sitting in the top row of the stands, even though it’s only the first game. It is nice if the championship provides greater visibility for the branch, says Koskinen.
Mika Monto, director of the championships, cannot say exactly how many tickets were sold for the matches. His greeting is that there are still people in the stands.
– I hope that people find their way here to follow the matches, either in the stands or outside the area. There is a lot of space around the pitch where visitors can watch the game up close for free, says Monto.
Competitive feeling also outside the stands
One of those who jumped at this opportunity is Juho, who follows the match between Finland and France from the grand staircase next to the event square.
– It was a pleasant surprise to see a squash match. Now it doesn’t really appeal to return to the workplace. It’s a bit unexpected that the championships are held here in the mall but it seems to work surprisingly well.
Juho stumbled upon the squash EC by chance during the work day.
Image: Rebecka Svedberg / Yle
squash,Squash damer,squashspelare,Mall of Tripla
According to him, the staircase where he follows the match is even possibly a slightly better vantage point than the stands right next to the pitch.
– There will also be a feeling of competition like this from a bench athlete’s point of view.
The European Squash Championship runs until Saturday, April 29. You can follow the championship via the Arena.
