One Scandinavian proverb says: hockey - figure skating in a theater of war. Sweden gave the world an army of illustrious hockey players. One of the best strikers in the world has been and remains Tumba-Johansson. A person with a true sporting spirit. Over his 80-year life, Tumba has contributed not only to professional hockey, he has been involved in football and golf. In every sport he managed to succeed.
Biography
Little Sven Olof Tumba-Johansson was born in August 1931 in the capital of Sweden - Stockholm. At the age of ten, the boy moved with his parents to a suburban Tumba. It is this city that will give the nickname to the famous athlete.
A boy grew up in the Curb, immediately he began to take his first steps in sports. Thanks to his unique playing skills, his coaches quickly noticed him, so he got into his first hockey team. And by the age of 19, the hockey player Tumba-Johansson had entered the main team of the Yurgarden professional club. It was a real luck for the team. Before Sven appeared in 1950 in the team, they managed to win the Swedish Championship only once. The stand brought his team over the next 10 years as many as 8 victories: in 1954-1955 and 1958-1963.
The young man changed his last name from Johansson to Tumba in 1965, explaining that there are so many Johansson in Sweden and he does not want to be confused with anyone.
Professional career
Being a part of Djurgården, Sven won not only 8 victories in the Swedish championships, he managed to become the captain of the Swedish national hockey team. Since 1952, Sven spent 4 seasons in the country's Olympic team (1952-1960). During this time he played in 95 matches, during which he sent 77 goals into the opponents' goal. As a result, the team won silver and bronze medals. Among the awards of the Cabinet there are also World Cups: 3 gold, 4 silver and 4 bronze awards.
According to Sven Tumba-Johansson himself, one of the most spectacular matches in his career was the final match of the European Championship in 1957 with the USSR team. Then the teams staged a real "ice battle". The match ended in a draw with a score of 4: 4. Scoring a point more in the championship, the Swedes became winners. He became the European champion in the national team 4 times, for the first time he was awarded this title at the age of 21 years.
Another Sven achievement is getting into the NHL. He became the first hockey player in the history of European clubs to whom the American League drew attention. He was invited to play for the legendary Boston Bruins club. But the contract was never signed.
Golf and football
Tumbu Johansson is often called Swedish Leonardo da Vinci because of his success in several sports at once. In 1959, the hockey player joined the Djurgården football team, in which he won the Swedish Championship. In addition, he was invited to play for the national team, in which he spent several matches. All this he managed to achieve in parallel with hockey.
After the hockey career, Tumba became seriously interested in playing golf. In this regard, the athlete often joked: "Here I can not part with the stick." Sven not only played golf, but also designed golf courses. He managed to develop the first field in the USSR, organized in Moscow.
He passed away in 2011, leaving behind two sons and a great sports legacy.
Interesting Facts
Due to the consonance of the nickname "Curbstone" with the piece of furniture, many fans believed that the hockey player was nicknamed after furniture. This was explained by the large dimensions of the stand and its wide square shoulders resembling a nightstand.
Curbstone managed to master the career of a sports commentator and led a competition in water sports.
Curbstone has established a fund to help sports veterans and a children's hockey center.
Johansson is inducted into the International Hockey Hall of Fame.