Ice sports getting more support from the city, the price of playing could decrease

The additional allocation presented by Bogomoloff would be significant, as in 2025 ice sports received 1.34 million euros from the appropriations of the culture and leisure sector.

In total, the board distributed 9.17 million euros in sports subsidies last year.

The Culture and Leisure Committee decided to leave the matter on the table at its meeting held on August 25. In its draft opinion, the board reminded that ice sports received about 14 percent of the allocations last year, even though the number of active enthusiasts in the sports is a total of six percent of the total.

The goal of Bogomoloff’s initiative was to reduce the price of the hobby. He demanded last September In an interview with HS more public support for ice sports training sessions, so that it would be cheaper to practice.

Sports Director of the City of Helsinki Tarja Loikkanen presented that the proposal coming from the municipal politician every year should not be supported. In his opinion, Bogomoloff’s proposal does not meet, for example, the criteria of equality and equity.

The Sports and Leisure Committee will decide on the matter at its meeting on Tuesday, September 8.

A defector notes that ice sports are probably getting more funding anyway.

“The criteria for subsidies for sports will be renewed from 2027. Then this separate subsidy for ice hockey and figure skating will be removed,” Loikkanen says and continues.

“In the future, sports and clubs with higher-than-average facility usage costs will be taken into account in the distribution of subsidies. And when we have done a preliminary impact assessment, what the new subsidy criteria mean for ice sports, for example, they will actually receive more subsidies.”