Here is all you need to know about Finnish ice hockey player Sanni Hakala as she gets paralysed after colliding with the goal post in a viral injury video
Several reports suggest that 26-year-old Sanni Hakala, a Finnish ice hockey player, is paralysed from the chest down.
Hakala suffered severe neck injuries on November 24 during her team HV71’s match against Djurgarden IF when she slipped and hit the goal post.
Sanni Hakala injury video goes viral as Finland ice hockey player is paralysed after colliding with goal post
🇫🇮Hockey player Sanni Hakala paralyzed after accidental fall
Finnish women's national team star Sunny Hakala, 26, a two-time Olympic medalist with her team fell and hit a goal post with her head in a Swedish league match on November 24. After the fall, which looked quite… pic.twitter.com/0AzEtweYvu
— Attentive Media (@AttentiveCEE) December 1, 2023
The unfortunate news was revealed on Instagram by the 26-year-old athlete, who revealed that she needed emergency surgery to heal a neck injury she had received in an accident involving a goal post. Hakala was hurried to the hospital for surgery after the game was abruptly called off. Via her Instagram, she wrote:
It is still hard to understand what has happened, that the crash into the goal post was as serious as it was, that the consequences have become so big.
She further wrote:
Not only that I am forced to stop playing hockey, something that has been a big part of my life for many years, but that I may be forced to sit in a wheelchair for the rest of my life.”
Who is Sanni Hakala?
Sanni Hakala, who was born in Jyväskylä, Finland on October 31, 1997, used to play ice hockey. The 26-year-old measures 1.54 m (5 ft 1 in) tall.
A look at Sanni Hakala’s career
Sanni Hakala played on boys’ teams until she was fifteen years old. At that age, she signed with JYP Jyväskylä in the Naisten SM-sarja, the top division of women’s hockey in Finland.
Hakala represented her country in games overseas in addition to playing for JYP Jyväskylä and Kärpät Oulu in the Naisten Liiga (NSML) and captaining HV71 in the Swedish Women’s Hockey League (SDHL).
After progressing through the Finnish hockey ranks, Hakala joined the Under-18 squad in 2013 for her first international match. At the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang (2018) and Beijing (2022), she represented Finland and took home two Bronze medals.
In addition, she took home bronze in 2017 and 2021 and a silver medal in 2019 from the global championships.
Who is Sanni Hakala dating?
According to reports, Sanni Hakala is currently single and not dating anyone publicly.
What is Sanni Hakala’s net worth?
Sanni Hakala’s net worth is estimated to be between $1 Million – $5 Million.