The Nordic region’s largest youth tournament in basketball has bred NBA stars.
Now is the time for the 26th edition of the Tallink Tournament – which this year is bigger than ever.
– Tallink Tournament is a great event and a possibility to see future stars in action, says tournament director Antti Viitanen.
You can watch all action live on Solidsport – august 23-25.

It is a tournament that has steadily grown and spread beyond the host country of Finland.

In 2018, the tournament was attended by 430 teams from 5 countries (Finland, Estonia, Sweden, Denmark and Latvia).

2019 it’s 439 teams.

What is the secret behind the success of Tallink Tournament?

Antti Viitanen answers:

– There’s no secret except hard work. We’ve been running the tournament for more than 20 years and have learnt what works and what doesn’t. We take pride in that we always want to make sure every team member from players to coaches to parents feel welcome. Of course, there are some things that work to our advantage:

  • Timing right before the season starts – teams want to prepare.
  • Tapiola Sports Park – we have 15 courts within a small area, creating a special atmosphere.
  • Volunteers: we have some 800 volunteers working during the weekend.

Tallink Tournament is all about having fun, but it’s also stacked with young players with plenty of potential.

Even NBA-potential.

– Some players who have played in our tournament are: Lauri Markkanen (Chicago Bulls, NBA), Petteri Koponen (Bayern Munchen, Bundesliga) and Sasu Salin (Iberostar Tenerife, Liga ACB).

Okey, give us one more reason to check in on the Tallink Tournament this weekend!

– Tallink Tournament is a great event and a possibility to see future stars in action. We have players ranging from 5 years old to 19 years old, boys and girls. Lots of action to see, says Antti Viitanen.

 

Mathias Lühr

mluhr@solidsport.com