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🇫🇮 Finland /Sports

HIFK Men's Handball Secures First Medal in 37 Years

From Helsingin Sanomat · (38m ago) Finnish Positive tone

Translated from Finnish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

TLDR

  • HIFK men's handball team secured their first league medal in 37 years, earning the silver title in the 2025-26 season.
  • The team lost the championship final series 3-0 to the dominant club BK-46 from Karjaa.
  • Despite the loss, the performance marked a significant resurgence for HIFK, who reached the SM finals for the first time and achieved their first SM medal since 1989.

Helsingin Sanomat celebrates a historic achievement for HIFK's men's handball team, which has captured its first league medal in 37 years. The silver medal, secured in the 2025-26 season, marks a significant resurgence for the club, which had not reached the SM finals or won a medal since 1989.

The SM silver remained in hand for the successful season of HIFK's men's handball team 2025–26.

— Helsingin SanomatReporting on the HIFK men's handball team's achievement.

While the championship title ultimately went to the formidable BK-46 of Karjaa, who swept the finals 3-0, HIFK's journey to the finals and subsequent medal is a testament to their improved performance and dedication. The team's resilience was evident even after a rare home loss in the second game, though they couldn't clinch a win in the third.

The performance was in any case a notable consolidation for HIFK, whose men played the sport's first SM finals and received their first SM medal since 1989.

— Helsingin SanomatHighlighting the historical significance of HIFK's achievement.

Christian Cosmo, HIFK's Swedish star, was a standout player, leading the team in scoring throughout the finals with 23 goals. This achievement is particularly noteworthy given that Dicken, previously the top club in Helsinki, was eliminated in the quarterfinals. The last SM gold for a Helsinki-based team was in 2012 by HC West, and the previous Helsinki champion was Kiffen in 1978. This silver medal represents a significant step forward for HIFK and a cause for celebration among its supporters.

HIFK scored only nine points in the first half, and BK-46's defense allowed only 21 points in the entire game.

— Helsingin SanomatDescribing the game's scoring dynamics.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Helsingin Sanomat in Finnish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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