The International Orienteering Federation (IOF) had decided last year, as part of its strategic plan, to close its offices in Helsinki and relocate to Karlstad.

It is hoped the move will help save the organisation money and help make them more efficient.

Among the dignitaries due to attend the opening are Brian Porteous, President of the IOF, and Denmark’s Ida Bobach, winner of two gold medals at the last year’s World Championships in Inverness.

The current IOF office employees in Helsinki have decided not to continue in the organisation but will continue working there until the middle of July,

Porteous will lead a special seminar at the Värmlands Museum entitled “Orienteering Today”, while Boach will talk about the ”The everyday life of an elite Orienteer”.

World Orienteering Day is already due to be celebrated in 60 countries. at more than 1,000 locations.

Notable among the registered locations, which are spread over all continents, are events in exciting places such as Greenland and New Caledonia. (and even Australia!)

The events will take place in cities, parks, forests and in school yards.

Most of the participants will be youths and school children, but people of all ages are encouraged to take part.

The IOF also recently received a letter from the International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach himself, in support of the first ever World Orienteering Day.

In it, he highlighted the importance of inspiring young people with the values of sport and also notes that the activities of World Orienteering Day are well aligned with the key objective of Olympic Agenda 2020: engaging youth through sport.

“Not only is this important considering the Olympic ambitions of orienteering, but it also underlines the importance of the sport in inspiring a younger generation to embrace the values of sport that orienteering represents,” said Porteous.