Sport in the Netherlands
Approximately 5 million of the 17 million people in the Netherlands are registered to one of the 35,000 sports clubs in the country. About two thirds of the population older than 15 years participates in sports weekly.[1]
Organization of sports began at the beginning of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century. Federations for sports were established (such as the speed skating federation in 1882), rules were unified and sports clubs came into existence. A Dutch National Olympic Committee was established in 1912. Thus far, the nation has won 230 medals at the Summer Olympic Games and another 95 medals at the Winter Olympic Games.
An influential figure in Dutch sport was
Team sports
Football
The Royal Dutch Football Association (KNVB) is the largest sports federation in the country with 1,076,759 players (in 2005).[2] According to the KNVB's website, it has over 1. 2 Million members as of 2016.[3] The organization came into being on December 19, 1899, and was one of the founding members of FIFA (the world Football Association) in 1904.
Dutch football teams won three Olympic bronze medals in 1908, 1912 and 1920. Other successes came in the 1970s, when the national team played in the 1974 and 1978 FIFA World Cup finals, losing to the tournament's host on both occasions. In the same period, Dutch league sides Ajax and Feyenoord won European Cups from 1970 to 1973. In 1988, the national team won the only international title so far at the European Championships. PSV won the European Cup that year too. Ajax won the European Cup again in 1995.
Despite their wealth of individual talent, the Dutch national men team have only been able to claim one trophy in their entire history. This came at the UEFA Euro 1988 in which they defeated the Soviet Union to claim the coveted Henri Delaunay Trophy. In 2017 the Dutch national woman team equalized this result when they beat Denmark, claiming their European title on home ground.
Many Dutch football players have gained international fame, such as
Football stadiums
Baseball
The
The Netherlands boasts the most successful
Baseball is especially popular on the island of
In 2009, the Netherlands twice upset the Dominican Republic in the 2009 World Baseball Classic. The Dominican Republic's entire roster played in Major League Baseball (MLB), while the Netherlands only had one player on an MLB roster. The Dominican teams' combined salary total in the MLB was about $84 million, while the Netherlands totals for $400,000. The Dominican Republic were highly favoured but in its first game against the Dominican, the Dutch won 3–2. The Dominican Republic won its next game against Panama to set up a rematch against the Netherlands. The Dutch stunned the Dominicans again and won 2–1 in extra innings.[7] At the 2013 World Baseball Classic the Netherlands performed even better. With a mix of experienced veterans and talented youngsters they progressed through the preliminary rounds to the semi-final, where the team lost to the Dominican Republic. The team again reached the semifinals at the 2017 World Baseball Classic, but again fell one game shy of the championship, losing this time to Puerto Rico.
Field hockey
The
The
Korfball
Basketball
Since 2000, basketball in the Netherlands went through some revival and has been home to several National Basketball Association (NBA) players, including Francisco Elson and Dan Gadzuric.
Handball
While the men's national handball team has only qualified for the World Championship once and also once for the European Championship and never for the Olympic Games, the women's team have been more successful, with a gold medal at the 2019 World Women's Handball Championship as the best result.
Volleyball
Volleyball is the third most participated team sport in the country. Founded on September 6, 1947, the Dutch Volleyball Federation is with 128,693 players (in 2005) the ninth largest sports association.[2] The A-League is the highest division in which eight men's and women's teams compete for the national championships.
The national men's team is the most successful exponent, winning the silver medal at the 1992 Summer Olympics and the gold medal four years later in Atlanta. The biggest success of the women's national team was winning the European Championship in 1995 and the World Grand Prix in 2007
The Netherlands featured national teams in beach volleyball that competed at the women's and men's section at the 2018–2020 CEV Beach Volleyball Continental Cup.[8]
Cricket
The
The
Most recently at the
In ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2023 Dutch team led by captain Scott Edwards has surprised the cricket world by beating South Africa and Bangladesh by big margins.[11]
Rugby union
Bandy
In terms of licensed athletes, bandy is the second biggest winter sport in the world.[14]
Bandy was introduced to the Netherlands in the 1890s and enjoyed some following for a couple of decades before ice hockey took over as the most popular winter team sport in the 1920s. However, bandy lived on in the Netherlands, and in the 1970s, it got a more organised form again.
Lacrosse
For the first time, the Netherlands will feature a national team at the 2022 Under-19 World Lacrosse Championships.[16]
Individual sports
Ice skating
The Royal Dutch Skating Federation was formed on September 17, 1882.[17] With 161,673 members they are the seventh largest sports federation (in 2005).[2]
Speed skating
The first official known speed skating competition ever for women was held in Leeuwarden from 1 to 2 February 1805 and was won by Trijntje Pieters Westra.[18][19]
After a successful period around 1900, with Jaap Eden and Coen de Koning as World Champions, Dutch speed skating successes became numerous in the 1960s. Champions Kees Verkerk and Ard Schenk were immensely popular, causing a real speed skating hype in the country. Successes continue up to today, with the likes of Yvonne van Gennip (3 Olympic gold medals in 1988), Rintje Ritsma (4-time World Allround Champion), Jochem Uytdehaage (2 Olympic gold medals in 2002), Marianne Timmer (3 Olympic gold medals in 1998 and 2006), Ireen Wüst (5 Olympic golds in 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018 and 6 World Allround Speed Skating Championships) and Sven Kramer (4 Olympic gold medals in 2010, 2014, 2018 and 9 World Allround Championships). The Dutch speed skaters' performance at the 2014 Winter Olympics, where they won 8 out of 12 events, 23 out of 36 medals, including 4 clean sweeps, is the most dominant performance in a single sport in Olympic history. Thialf Stadium in Heerenveen was the second indoor 400m speed skating oval in the world, the first to host an international championship and remains a world-class facility today. Dutch speed skaters have won 77 world single distance championships (since 1996).
Figure skating
Cycling
The
Tennis
The
One of the most successful tennis players was Tom Okker, nicknamed The Flying Dutchman who was ranked among the world's top 10 singles players for seven consecutive years from 1968 through 1974, reaching a career high of World No. 3 in 1969. Betty Stöve reached the ladies' singles final at Wimbledon in 1977 and won 10 Grand Slam titles in women's doubles and mixed doubles between 1972 and 1981. Also noticeable is
Netherlands is home to several tennis tournaments, including The
Athletics
The
Most successful competitor was
.Equestrianism
The
Golf
The national professional golf tournaments in the Netherlands are the
Rowing
Swimming
Formed on August 14, 1888, The Royal Dutch Swimming Federation has 148,599 members and is the eight largest sports federation.[2] Famous competitors include Rie Mastenbroek, who won the gold medal at the 1936 Summer Olympics in the 100 m freestyle, 400 m and 4 × 100 m freestyle. Recent champions include triple Olympic gold medalists Pieter van den Hoogenband and Ranomi Kromowidjojo, four-time Olympic champion Inge de Bruijn, and the current world record holder of the 50 metres freestyle, Marleen Veldhuis.
Judo
The
Kickboxing
Jan Plas, who learned kickboxing from Kenji Kurosaki, brought kickboxing to the Netherlands in 1978 where he founded Mejiro Gym and the NKBB (The Dutch Kickboxing Association). Ever since its inception in 1993, Dutch kickboxers have dominated the K-1 scene, causing "Wimbledon effects", with two record holding title champions Ernesto Hoost and Semmy Schilt, other world champions and contenders include Peter Aerts, Remy Bonjasky, Andy Souwer, Albert Kraus, Rob Kaman, Ramon Dekkers, Alistair Overeem, Badr Hari, Rico Verhoeven and many more world champion. The Netherlands are considered as the best country in the world for kickboxing.
Walking
Walking on a defined route as part of an organised event is a popular activity in the Netherlands. The main national walking organisation is the Royal Dutch Walking Association (Koninklijke Wandel Bond Nederland, or KWBN), which is affiliated to the Dutch Olympic Committee/Dutch Sports Federation.[22] KWBN affiliated groups organise over 1,500 events a year, attracting an estimated 500,000 participants.[23] This includes the annual Nijmegen Four Day Marches, which has nearly 50,000 participants from around the world.[24] Although these events are non-competitive, the KWBN promote walking as a sport, in order to "contribute to a healthier, fitter and more vital Netherlands”.[25]
Other notable athletes
- Jan Lammers is a former Formula One driver, who won the 24 Hours of Le Mans with Jaguar in 1988.
- 1987and also finished 11th overall.
- Hans Stacey is a rally car driver. Won in 2007 the Dakar Rally for trucks with his MAN truck.
- Raymond van Barneveld is a professional darts player. He was ranked number one in the world from January 2008 to June 2008. He has won five world championships, four in the now-defunct British Darts Organisation and one in the Professional Darts Corporation.
- Auto racing driver Arie Luyendyk is a two-time winner of the Indianapolis 500, in 1990 and 1997.
- International Rowing Federationin 2004.
- Basketball player Rik Smits was selected for the NBA All-Star Game in 1998, and helped the Indiana Pacers reach their only NBA final in 2000.
- Michael van Gerwen is a professional darts player. He was the number-one ranked darts player in the world from 2014 to 2021, and was the 2014, 2017 & 2019 PDC World Darts Champion.
- Ryan Ten Doeschate is a cricket player who has the highest batting average in ODI Cricket. In January 2011, ten Doeschate was signed by Kolkata Knight Riders in the Indian Premier League2011 Auction, becoming the first Associate player to win an IPL contract. In 2012, he also became the first and till date the only Dutchman to win the Indian Premier League with KKR.
- Max Verstappen is a Formula One driver. Having made his debut in 2015 at the age of 17, he holds the record for being the youngest driver to have entered a Formula One race. In 2016, he took his first win at the Spanish Grand Prix, making him both the youngest driver and first Dutch driver to win a Formula One race. In 2021, he won the Formula One drivers' championship, the first Dutch driver to do so. He won the drivers' championship again in 2022 and 2023. Max's father, Jos Verstappen, was a Formula One driver from 1994 to 2003.
- Vivianne Miedema is a professional footballer who plays as a forward for FA WSL club Arsenal and the Netherlands women's national football team. She has scored more goals at international level for the Netherlands than any other player, across both the women’s and men’s teams.
- Rinus VeeKay, whose full name is Rinus van Kalmthout, is a driver in the IndyCar Series.
See also
References
- ^ (in Dutch) Sport in Nederland Archived 2008-01-15 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ a b c d e f g h i (in Dutch) sport.nl (Figures are from 2005) Archived 2007-08-12 at archive.today</=177 (in Dutch) Fitplein]
- ^ "Over de KNVB | KNVB".
- ^ (in Dutch) honkbalsite.com Archived 2008-03-11 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ (in Dutch) knbsb.nl PDF file[permanent dead link]
- ^ sports.espn.go.com
- ^ Dutch pull off second upset to advance | MLB.com: News. Mlb.mlb.com. Retrieved on 2011-02-18.
- FIVB. 22 June 2021. Retrieved 7 August 2021.
- ^ (in Dutch) kb.nl Archived 2008-02-07 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Onderzoeksrapportage Zo Sport Nederland - NOCNSF". nocnsf.nl. Retrieved 2022-10-24.
- ^ "Netherlands stun Bangladesh to leave England bottom of World Cup table". The Guardian. October 28, 2023.
- ^ (in Dutch) utrechtrugby.nl
- ^ (in Dutch) rugby.nl PDF file Archived 2008-04-10 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Bandy destined for the Olympic Winter Games!". Archived from the original on 2018-10-17. Retrieved 2019-01-26.
- ^ Arnout Janmaat (March 7, 2013). "120 jaar bandygeschiedenis in Nederland" (PDF). Retrieved February 13, 2013.
- ^ Record 23 lacrosse teams to play at Men's Under-21 World Championship Ali Iveson (Inside the Games), 30 May 2021. Accessed 9 June 2021.
- ^ (in Dutch) knsb.nl PDF file Archived 2008-04-10 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Digitaal Vrouwenlexicon van Nederland". resources.huygens.knaw.nl. September 17, 2019.
- ^ "Competition results, statistics and records; SpeedSkatingNews". www.speedskatingnews.info. Retrieved 3 April 2020. 1001 Vrouwen uit de Nederlandse geschiedenis
- ^ "Tom Dumoulin wins Giro d'Italia following time-trial masterclass". Eurosport. 28 May 2017. Retrieved 28 May 2017.
- ^ (in Dutch) judobondnederland Archived 2008-03-25 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "KWBN website, article: Oproep voor meer sport en gezonde leefstijl in regeerakkoord". Archived from the original on 2018-02-22. Retrieved 2018-02-21.
- ^ Wandel.nl website, main page
- ^ Vierdaagse website
- ^ "KWBN website, article: Voor heel wandelend Nederland". Archived from the original on 2018-02-22. Retrieved 2018-02-21.