The Roundup - 28th April to 20th May 2020

It’s official - Superpesis is back, with the men’s Superpesis starting on 2nd July 2020

Has it really been that long since the last roundup? There have been few headlines and developments until recently and it seemed as though a little more information was always “just around the corner”, so I held off this post until things had been clarified. All of a sudden there seemed to be a lot of major stories! So I have tried to cover the most important ones...

The big stories

Superpesis is back, starting 2nd July 2020

The start date was confirmed yesterday that the men’s Superpesis will be back, with the regular season starting on 2nd July. The full details and schedule for the teams remains unclear, but all 14 teams have signed up to competing! The safety measures for players, staff, vendors and fans remains a paramount consideration and the details for this are still unknown.

Whilst it is essential for clubs and fans to see Superpesis return, the balance must be struck between the finances of clubs and the overriding health and safety of all those involved. Sport can enrich peoples lives and bring significant health benefits, whether it is participation or simply as a fan; however the physical threat to health that the Coronavirus presents is a significant challenge and is not to be taken lightly. The Pesäpalloliito has been explicit in saying that there is no pressure on any player or any team to compete in 2020 and an immediate decision was taken to forgo the usual relegation rules. Instead, teams will be able to compete for promotion from lower leagues and there will be safety in knowing that if a team or certain players decided not to play then they would not be penalised for this. Whilst this does take some of the excitement out of the season, I think it is a fundamental and positive decision by the governing body to ensure that people are not putting their health at risk due to external pressures or their own fears for success.

The staged approach to opening up the leagues means that Ykköspesis and the women’s Superpesis will start their season on 12th June, before the men’s Superpesis which is delayed to July. This means that there is a great opportunity for the women’s Superpesis to get more exposure and attract new (and possibly international) audiences.  

Hyvinkään Tahko part company with Game Manager and Markus Tuikka 

Just as the Superpesis regular season announcement was sitting in the pipeline, Tahko announced that they were terminating their contract with Game Manager Pasi Kokkonen. Full details have not been provided as to why this course of action has been taken; some may suggest that the finances of the team would be better served with players salaries or that the health and wellbeing of staff cannot be guaranteed, but this is just speculation. the contract has been terminated by mutual consent. Kokkonen comments that he was unable to take time from his employment to engage as Gam Manager due to the coronavirus situation. In such extreme and uncertain times people cannot be judged on such actions without knowing the full picture; clearly this was a tough decision that nobody wanted, but tough decisions are required to navigate through these stormy times. Here at Superpesis Roundup we wish Pasi Kokkonen a bright future, whatever that holds for him.

If you think that this announcement leaves Tahko adrift for 2020 with nobody at the helm then you would be wrong. On 19th May Tahko announced that Miika Rantatorikka (current CEO at Tahko’s Pesis Oy) will step out of the shadows and fill the role as game manager once again. 

The news also broke that newly signed Markus Tuikka will also depart from Tahko. Tuikka was a regular player with Sotkamon Jymy in 2019, picking up a silver medal for his efforts. Like Kokkonen, the termination of his contract is by mutual consent. Let’s hope to see Tuikka rounding the bases soon, whichever team he plays for! 

Toni Kohonen in doubt for KPL

KPL made the boldest signings during the 2019 off-season and signed some veterans of the game to stake their claim for the 2020 championship. Perhaps the most intriguing and exciting signing was that of legendary Lukkari and 10 times championship winner Toni Kohonen. The most curious feature of the return to Superpesis was where he intended to feature in the team... Lukkari surely? Nope - as an infielder! 

With new skills and challenges for Kohonen to face, there is perhaps one challenge which is out of his hands- whether he will feature at all. It is clear that KPL are desperate to manage their contracts and get out on to the field and play, but the Coronavirus situation has left the club (as indeed all clubs) struggling to keep their heads above the water when it comes to finances. Despite continued negotiations between Kohonen’s people and KPL, there is no clear answer as to whether he will start the season or even play at all. We will cover this story as more information becomes available.

I want to wish everyone who attends or participates in the season the best of luck and good health. I hope that 

Vimpelin Veto players agree to reduced contract fees for 2020

Vimpeli announced this week that they have negotiated with the players group to reduce their contract fees for 2020 in order to protect the financial position of the club. 

“With the decision made by the team, we wanted to help the club in this challenging situation and at the same time ensure the future of the club” Markku Hylkilä, the game manager of Veto Translation by Google)

“Decisions are not easy, because for us it is our only livelihood during the summer. The most important thing, however, is that we can continue to prepare for the series that starts in July” Hylkilä continues (Translation by Google)

The limit of 500 attendants (including players, vendors and staff) hits the ticket sales hard, along with the restaurant revenues of the club, which form a significant part of the club’s revenue budget.

“Without the help of the players, leaving the whole series would have been in danger. The team's contribution also shows the strong community spirit that prevails in our company,” ViVe's Executive Director Jukka-Pekka Kujala (Translation by Google)

Mikko Pirhonen and other guests appear on coaching sessions for the Indian Pesäpallo Federation

If you thought that a global pandemic could stop the growth of pesäpallo around the world, then think again. If anything the Coronavirus situation has meant that people have become more creative and more focused on engaging people using technology. Fellow podcaster, Coach and former player, Mikko Pirhonen, has ben organising and conducting coaching sessions using Zoom with the Indian Pesäpallo Federation in English. Guests have included Swiss Pesäpallo player and World Cup 2019 silver medalist Dominic Meier and former KPL Lukkari Stefan Sburatura as well as other names. The sessions have great attendance and it is superb to see such interest across the world. Check out Mikko Pirhonen’s twitter feed for more information.