Konya, Turkey, July 6, 2017. The name Sebastian Pozo-Hernandez will be unfamiliar to most, but the outside spiker is trying to follow in his dad’s footsteps and make it as a professional. You would be forgiven for thinking this is a Spanish player, but in fact he represents Finland.

Born in Finland to a Cuban father and Finnish mother, he is clearly enjoying his first taste of internationalVolleyball.

Jimmy Pozo-Hernandez came over from Cuba in his own playing days and made a mark with Finnish club side Loimu RAISIO who play in Raisio, just north-west of Turku.

Now the Volleyball tips are being passed down to the second generation hoping to make it, and son Sebastian plays for the same club.

“I was born in Finland and I've got into the national team,” Pozo-Hernandez explained. “My dad made me play Volleyball when I was young. My mum is now almost as obsessed as me and my father. She was forced into it really.” 

There is a clear love for the sport from Pozo-Hernandez, but it hasn’t been going the Finns’ way so far at the 2017 CEV U17 Volleyball European Championship – Men, with defeats in each of their three games to hosts Turkey, Greece and the Netherlands.

“It was fantastic to see him playing and it inspired me to play Volleyball as well. I just love to play and love the team spirit you have.”

Card schools have been frequent in the team hotel and Pozo-Hernandez regards himself as one of the team’s funny guys.

“We've been playing together for about two years and we're all good friends and get along well. We like to have fun but we want to win. We want to fight for a medal.”

Despite some Caribbean blood inside him, it was never a question of whether he would compete for his native Finland or follow his father’s Cuban routes.

He added: “It was always Finland for me. However, my dad is now a masseur and helps me everyway he can. He works in sports massage and helps me recover from matches.”