Lindab to be lead sponsor for Maria Rooth Summer Hockey School

Lindab has recently decided to act as lead sponsor for Maria Rooth Summer Hockey School, one of Sweden's and Europe's largest hockey schools. "It is an important sporting activity, which gives young people knowledge, experience and the opportunity to meet and encounter other cultures and sections of society", says Anders Berg, President and CEO of Lindab. "This means it is fundamentally in line with the initiatives we are carrying out within social responsibility!"

Maria Rooth is without doubt one of Sweden's hockey legends, and was elected to the International Ice Hockey Federation's Hall of Fame in 2014. It feels like a natural choice with a track record of 105 goals in 265 international matches (only Sven "Tumba" Johansson and Nils Nilsson are ahead of her), participation in four Olympic Games which produced Silver in Turin in 2006 and Bronze in Salt Lake City in 2002, as well as numerous medals in the World Championship, European Championship and Swedish Championship.

So far thousands of young hockey-playing girls have benefited from the fact that Maria also wants to utilize her great talent and experience of professional hockey training after her playing career was over. In 2006 she founded Maria Rooth Summer Hockey School, with the focus on giving young girls the chance to both be seen and to learn as much as possible about the fundamentals of hockey.

Lindab has chosen to be lead sponsor of the activity for 2016, thereby becoming the first large company to support this important initiative for young people, and girls in particular. Maria Rooth Summer Hockey School is one of Sweden's and Europe's largest hockey schools, and it has a very good reputation.

110 per cent right

"This type of sponsorship is as right as it can be for us", explains Anders Berg, President and CEO of Lindab. "It is targeted at young people, in this case young girls, and is based on an extraordinarily high level of commitment and knowledge, which is now being disseminated in the best possible way. Bringing a large group of young people together and enabling them to train, learn, tackle, do tricks and go through both successes and setbacks is really important. It gives them experiences, as well as lessons and pleasure, and not least the chance to meet young people from other cultures and sections of society. Purely from a personal perspective, I have a lot of experience myself of what sports means to children and young people, and their development – sport is quite simply an important and educational part of their upbringing. The fact that we are now going to be lead sponsor for the Maria Rooth Summer Hockey School is fundamentally in line with our focus on social responsibility. It is also an excellent fit with our Good Thinking concept, as the Maria Rooth Summer Hockey School really is a good example of exactly that, good thinking!"

Great fun and a sense of security

"To start with, it is really fantastic for me and the Hockey School, as I have never had a company act as lead sponsor in the way that Lindab has now done", says a very pleased Maria Rooth. "Having a large, well-known company behind us provides us with a sense of security. It means that we can now make everything a little bit better. It is positive both for me and all my fellow trainers and staff, and positive for the 130 or so hockey girls from about 12 countries who we welcome to Halmstad each summer. The preparations are now fully underway for this year's session, and I can really promise that a packed week is awaiting the girls!"

"Having Maria Rooth working here with us is absolutely fantastic, as her sporting successes display great commitment, resolution and an iron will, qualities that we value greatly here at Lindab", Anders Berg concludes. "However, that hasn't had any influence on our decision to sponsor her hockey school, that stands firmly on its own two feet and merits and was a simple choice!"