The Finnish Student Sports Federation (OLL) and the World University Wrestling Championships were challenged to the campaign by the Olympic Qualification Tournament of Wrestling, organised in Finland in May. Approximately 300 participants from 30 countries are expected to compete on the wrestling mats of fair play in Kuortane.

At the opening ceremony of the Championships in Kuortane, the President for Finnish Wrestling Federation Mr Jukka Rauhala handed the golden baton of clean sport over to the President of Finnish Student Sports Federation Mrs Lotte Uutinen as a symbol of the fair play challenge.

"The World University Wrestling Championships require a lot of effort from the organisers and they are a significant display of the very active Finnish wrestling scene and a continuation to these long-time traditions. Some 300 athletes from 30 countries around the world are expected to participate in the Championships, which is the second top-class wrestling event in Finland this year, along with the Olympic Qualification Tournament organised in Vantaa in the spring. In this way, Kuortane Sports Resort and the Finnish Student Sports Federation (OLL), in co-operation with the Finnish Wrestling Federation, work actively for the principles of clean sport and fair play," says Mr Rauhala.

"Clean sport is a value to which we are committed. Last year, the Finnish teams for both the Winter and Summer Universiades signed the Clean Win petition and thus committed themselves to fair play. In the future, we also wish to promote responsible sport through our actions, so it is a great delight and honour to accept the golden baton," Mrs Uutinen comments.

The fair play challenge campaign for international sports events organised in Finland is a part of the Clean Win programme. The Clean Win programme, a joint endeavour of FINADA and Fazer, was launched in May 2008. The golden baton challenges its receiver to promote clean sport and to commit to its values. The golden baton has already travelled around in Finland at the European Youth Olympic festival in 2009, the Floorball World Championships 2010, the World Synchronized Skating Championships and the Enduro World Championships in 2011 and the European Airgun Championships, WMA Indoor Championships and the Olympic Qualification Tournament of Wrestling in 2012.