Pesäpallo

Pesäpallo, often called "Finnish Baseball" is the national sport of Finland!

Invented at the beginning of the 1920s by Lauri "Tahko" Pihkala, a previous olympic athlete who specialized in high jump, this game aimed to unify the independent nation of Finland since 1917.

Inspired greatly by baseball, a game that played a comparable role in unifying the US after their civil war, Pesäpallo shares certain similarities with the game.

The sport is played with two teams, each made up of 9 players on defense and 12 on offense. The main difference resides in the technique used to pitch, which is done vertically.

Did you know?

In the 10 World Cups since 1992, Finland has won every single gold metal! Men and women alike as well as co-ed teams.