Seinäjoki’s temporary basketball court mocked online as “unplayable”

A temporary outdoor basketball court in Seinäjoki, set up near the Jouppilanvuori artificial ice rink during renovations, has drawn widespread ridicule on social media after the city shared images of its uneven, waterlogged asphalt surface, Yle reports.

The city’s sports services department posted photos of the makeshift court on Facebook and Instagram on Tuesday, acknowledging its poor condition but inviting residents to use it. The post backfired, prompting the department to remove the images Wednesday morning amid a flood of critical comments.

Sports director Jari Mäkelä defended the court, stating that while the photos made it appear worse than it is, the area remains safe for casual play. “Anyone who’s actually been there knows it’s not as bad as the picture suggested,” Mäkelä told Yle.

The court was assembled using hoops relocated from the ice rink’s usual summer basketball area, which has been closed since last year due to a €1 million renovation of the rink’s base, cooling pipes, and surface. The project, set for completion this autumn, will introduce two new basketball courts, four tennis courts, and two pickleball courts with a flexible playing surface.

Mäkelä emphasized that the temporary setup cost the city nothing and was intended to provide low-threshold recreation for local youth. “We could have left the hoops unused, but we’ve had so many requests from kids in the area that we decided to set them up here for the summer,” he said.

Construction on the permanent courts is expected to finish by late summer. Mäkelä expressed disappointment over the negative reaction but hoped the hoops would still see use. “These will be great courts once they’re done,” he added.