Aisti Sport briefly in English
Aisti Sport is a Vantaa, Finland based sports club that wants to create new opportunities. Our members enjoy blind sports inclusively with non-disabled people. We currently offer five different sports: blind football, blind hockey (ice hockey), blind tennis, goalball and showdown (blind table tennis). Aisti Sport also offers sports based activities for children of different ages with Aisti Games and Aisti Play clubs. The amounts and times of practices vary slightly seasonally but while on season, the practices are held weekly around the Helsinki capital area. Our own premises are located in Myyrmäki.
”We all have a dream” – a translation of our slogan
Aisti Sport was founded in 2017 by Aleksi Aittola, Jani Tuuri, Markus Tihumäki, Miika Honkanen and Ville Montonen. Initially a response for a need for more goalball opportunities in the capital area, the agenda at the time of founding had expanded to a vision of a more complete and goal oriented sports organization. Over the years the Aisti Sport functions have steadily increased to expand to a wider variety of sports and collaborations. We are not done expanding: our latest addition, blind tennis, was introduced to Finland for the first time ever in mid September of 2024 in a try-out event organized by Aisti Sport and collaborators, and the weekly practices started by the end of October. We were also involved in organizing a 5-a-side football (blind football) tryout event that started organized activity for the sport in Finland. Aisti Sport is proud to keep constantly introducing new sports to Finnish visually impaired communities and beyond.
Aisti Sport athletes take part in many national and international tournaments across the sports we offer. Our club annually organizes 2-3 goalball tournaments, and our athletes represent Aisti Sport both in national leagues as well as international ones such as EGCA – European Goalball Champions League. One yearly highlight is also our weekend-long blind hockey camp. It’s Europe’s biggest blind hockey gathering and usually brings together blind and visually impaired hockey players and those interested in starting it out from all over the world. Bi-weekly showdown practices are held in our own premises in Myyrmäki, and our athletes take active part in competitive tournaments.
Aisti Sport wants to break the barriers between disabled and non-disabled, blind and sighted, while simultaneously offering spaces for personal wellbeing and growth through sports. We value our great sense of communality, and encourage everyone to participate regardless of background in sports and in life. Our athletes cheer each other on in competitions and practices. Aisti Sport spaces are a strictly bullying free zone. Our primary language is Finnish, but we’ve enjoyed visitors from all over the world, both trying out weekly sporting opportunities and special events.
Aisti Sport received a Tähtiseura (“The Star Club programme”) quality certification by the Finnish Olympic Comittee for our work on adult’s goalball in 2020 and for kids and youth goalball in 2023. We also received Tähtiseura recognition for being an outstanding adult’s sports organization in 2021. Aisti Sport also actively collabroates with the Finnish Paralympic Committee.
Don’t be afraid to contact us at aistisport(at)gmail.com!