The beginning
The history of Somalia bandy has its beginning from two directions. Hans Grandin, then chairman of Borlänge Bandy, went brooded about an integration project where a Somali boy’s national team with roots in Borlänge would be the icing on the cake.
Patrik Andersson heard about this and realized that in order to create a real pressure the idea should be developed to send a Somali national team of Bandy to the Bandy World Championships in Irkutsk.
Through an initiative of Jan-Olof Lundberg, Integration Manager at Borlänge Municipality, met Patrick and Hans in December 2012. Over a cup of coffee at Alma Café in Borlänge they discussed this and before the second cup of coffee was empty the Somalia Bandy existed.
Since Patrick and Hansmet Mursal Isa and Hassanovic Osman Ali from Swesom, the Swedish / Somali football club in Borlänge, very much fell in place. They had thought about what their guys would do in the wintertime and thought bandy could be something to try.
In March 2013 went Hassanovic and four Somali guys (Abdihakiin Mohamed, Mohamed Ahmed, Abdi Aziz and Mohamed Dhegnas) with Borlänge Bandy down to Friends Arena for their first ever bandy game. That it happened to be the national finals in bandy with record attendance and a great atmosphere on ice and grandstand was a bonus. The guys decided to bet on bandy.
At a meeting with the International Bandy Federation, it was clarified that it was possible for Somalia to take part in the World Cup. Through a Somali who moved back to Mogadishu Patrik established contact with the country’s Sports Minister who by the Somali Olympic Committee applied for membership of IBF.
Since then the project has exploded. Media interest was great at the first press conference that was held in the courtyard at the beginning of May. “This year’s most unexpected news” wrote e.g. Aftonbladet. Then step Pelle Fosshaug up for the first time and said that he was going to be the Somali national team coach.