At six o'clock on Saturday morning, municipal councilor Sven Tornberg and seven other ping-pong enthusiasts from Haparanda crossed the border into Tornio and then on towards Oulu.
And there was nothing to stop them as the Finnish border opened at midnight.
"Nice feeling"
- It was an enormously nice feeling to go across the border and into Tornio and avoid border guards and riot fences.
It was like it was before the pandemic and I'm very happy.
This is the new normal.
Now social life will be greatly facilitated.
It will be a little easier to breathe as well.
This is how we should have it in Tornedalen, he says.
The Oulu Table Tennis Association organizes an open tournament once a month where anyone can register for group games.
Sven Tornberg has been playing table tennis since last summer and did his first competition on Saturday.
- I did not win a match, but what does it do.
It went better and better and I had fun.
The big victory today is that the border has finally been opened, he says.