The case in summary Finnsnes volleyball club must collect NOK 100,000 to participate in the NM play-offs in Ålesund. As of now, they have collected NOK 55,000 through Spleis and sponsorship. The team has recently achieved success by winning bronze in the NNM. The local community works to support the team’s participation in the NM. Sports in Northern Norway are facing increased travel costs, which makes it difficult for sports teams and athletes to participate in national events on an equal basis with the rest of the country. There has been a focus on removing financial obstacles to children’s participation in sports activities, and sports teams have received VAT compensation and extra grants. Troms’ sports circle and politicians discuss the challenges associated with high travel costs. There is a desire for dialogue with the authorities in order to meet northern Norwegian sports teams. Despite financial challenges, Finnsnes volleyball club is determined to find a solution and participate in the NM in Ålesund. The summary is made by an AI service based on ChatGPT and is editorially processed by journalists at news. – It is cumbersome to have to spend a lot of energy on collecting money for travel and such, says Vilde Karlsen. She is one of the volleyball players at Finnsnes volleyball club – They will play the NM play-offs in Ålesund in March. But first they have to collect NOK 100,000. Sports in Northern Norway believe that increased travel costs rob sports teams and athletes in the north of the opportunity to participate in national events, on the same level as the rest of the country. – An increase in travel costs within Norway particularly affects northern Norwegian sports teams and the opportunity for athletes to participate in national sports, says the head of Troms sports circle. Collecting money for the NM On Wednesday evening, children and young people gathered for training in the gymnasium at Finnsnes secondary school. Coach Bjørn-Viggo Larsen is the prime mover, and has assembled the junior team to prepare for what will come later in the spring. In early January, Finnsnes Volleyball Club’s G19 team managed to win over Bodø Volley. It ended with them taking bronze in the NNM. They are thus qualified for the junior national championships in Ålesund – if they choose to go. Bjørn-Viggo Larsen is a coach for several volleyball teams in Finnsnes volleyball club. Photo: Kari Anne Skoglund / news – We are getting closer. We have received some money via Spleis, and we have received some sponsorship from companies. On Wednesday, friends and relatives of the players had collected an amount of NOK 55,000. But they still lack money: They need a five-figure sum before they can go on a trip. In the worst case, the coach must ask for self-respect from the players. – We must avoid that at all costs. Some of them are school pupils, so it is a last resort, he emphasises. Fortunately, the team only consists of seven players and two coaches. Nevertheless, the trip will be expensive for the club. – We still have hope for contributions from individual companies in Finnsnes, which I know is in the thinking box. Vilde Karlsen is one of the young players in the Finnsnes volleyball club who is looking forward to playing the NM play-offs in Ålesund in the spring. Photo: Kari Anne Skoglund Wants more Northern Norwegian clubs are struggling to find money to participate in national events, tournaments and series. This is the opinion of Inger Lise Brones, chairman of Trom’s sports circle. – The consequences could be that teams and athletes from the north withdraw from sports participation, or move from the region, says Brones. Inger Lise Boner, chairman of Trom’s sports circle, avoids several consequences. Photo: Jørn Inge Johansen / news After the pandemic period, sports have struggled to get children and young people back to organized sports. Not only because many were hooked by local sports teams during the isolation period, but also because families with children in Norway have had increased costs and less to deal with. Norway’s sports federations, the special federations, and the state have therefore worked actively in recent years to remove financial obstacles for children to be able to participate in sports activities in local sports teams. In the state budget for 2024, the government therefore included an increase in grants to the sports circles of NOK 250 million to compensate for increased costs. – This work is supported wholeheartedly by the northern Norwegian sports circles, emphasizes Brones. At the same time, Brones believes that the extraordinary expenses for domestic travel in Norway are not compensated in the same way, creating major difficulties especially in northern Norway. She is therefore asking for a dialogue with the authorities and national sports in order to meet northern Norwegian sports teams. – Athletes from the north must of course also have the opportunity to develop and participate on the same level as athletes from central parts of the country, she believes. Åse Kristin Ask Bakke is Aps’ sports policy spokesperson, and sits on the family and culture committee at the Storting. Photo: Malin Kjellstadli Korsnes / news – It is important that everyone gets to be Åse Kristin Ask Bakke is APS’ sports policy spokesperson. She believes the government has already contributed to sport to compensate for the rise in costs in recent years. – For us, it is important that everyone gets to participate in sport. This is about where you live and the size of your wallet. She says the government has done two things to compensate for this: – One is to issue full VAT compensation, which voluntary teams and associations can apply for, says Ask Bakke. In 2023, voluntary teams and associations were reimbursed over NOK 2.5 billion in mons for goods and services. Of this, sports received over NOK 900 million, according to figures from the Lotteries and Foundations Authority. Of these funds, sports clubs in Nordland, Troms and Finnmark were repaid NOK 57 million in 2023. In addition, the government has given over NOK 225 million extra to sports councils and sports circles around the country in extra grants in the past year. – There are many who struggle to pay their bills. That is why we have chosen to spend extraordinary money so that the sports teams can include even more people in their activities, she says. Turid Kristensen is sports policy spokesperson for the Conservative Party. Photo: Leif Dahlen Problems in several places throughout the country The Conservative Party’s sports policy spokesperson, Turid Kristiansen, says increased costs for travel are not just a problem for Northern Norwegian team players and athletes. – This is a problem in several places in the country. Both in Western Norway and inland, there can be long travel distances – and costs, she says. At the same time, she emphasizes that the challenge for northern Norwegian sports, with expensive plane tickets, should be looked at: – I think this should be taken up with the Ministry of Culture, which should enter into a dialogue with the Sports Confederation, to see if the teams in the north can compensate in some way, she says. Photo: Kari Anne Skoglund / news Ap invites to a meeting The spokesperson for sports policy in Ap first wants to enter into a dialogue with sports in Northern Norway: – I would like to invite the three sports circles to a meeting to talk about the special situation sports have in Northern Norway, she says. Chairwoman of the Troms sports circle, Inger Lise Brones, appreciates the invitation from the Labor Party. – I accept the invitation from the Labor Party, she replies to the relay from news. Bjørn-Viggo Larsen promises his players that he will get them to the NM in Møre and Romsdal no matter what happens. Photo: Kari Anne Skoglund / news – We will find a solution, and we will travel The coach at Finnsnes, Bjørn-Viggo Larsen, believes the problem is common to all clubs in Northern Norway. He points out that the costs are greatest for the big city clubs who may be sending dozens of players to the NM. – In particular, the flight via Oslo is expensive. At the same time, he emphasizes that his team is registered. If they then have to borrow money from the club, his team will go to the NM in Ålesund in March. – We will find a solution, and we will travel, he promises.
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Have to collect travel money to the National Championships at Spleis – thinks northern Norwegian sports are discriminated against – news Troms and Finnmark
