The Arctic Winter Games are a championship for young athletes from the northern/arctic regions of the world. Here competitions are held, among others, in futsal, alpine skiing, archery, curling, skiing, skating and basketball.

From the Harstad region, five local girls are part of the Sápmi team futsal team: Mathilde Kiil Jakobsen, Victoria Haukebøe and Cecilia J. Elvevoll from Medkila – and Ida Nibe Øyen and Frida Kristine Killie from SOIF.

The Sápmi team also presents athletes in cross-country skiing. From Canada, the girls report that it has been cold, with temperatures dropping to minus 37 degrees, but it is really a great experience to be able to participate in the championship.

Sportingly, the girls faced a good opposition, but they are doing well. Team Sápmi was ready for the semi-finals on Friday after beating Team Northwest Territories 3-0. The semi-final will be played on Friday against the Alaska team.

The 2023 Arctic Winter Games are a winter sports event taking place in the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo in northern Alberta from January 29 to February 4. The Games, which take place every two years, were originally scheduled to take place in March 2022, but were moved due to the pandemic.

In 1970, 500 athletes took part. Over 2,000 people attended Kenai in Alaska in 2006. Sami youth and leaders from Norway, Sweden and Finland first attended in 2004.

This year, there are a total of 2,100 participants. They come from these regions: northern Alberta, Northwest Territories, Yukon, Nunavut, Nunavik (northern Quebec), Alaska, Greenland and Sápmi, write the Winter Games of the Arctic and NRK.

These are part of the Sápmi women’s futsal team:

Ida Nibe Øyen (THIRST), Victoria Haukebøe (Medkila IL), Vilja EG Sommerseth (Furuflaten IL), Frida Kristine Killie (THIRST), Mia Tokle (Furuflaten IL), Anna Marie H Sokki (Ranheim IL), Cecilia J. Elvevoll ( Medkila IL), Mathilde Kiil Jakobsen (Medkila IL) and Thea Hammer Johansen (IL Grand).