Sport in the Netherlands
Encyclopedia
Approximately 4.5 million of the 16 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.
Football is the most popular sport in the Netherlands, with field hockey
and volleyball
as the second and third most popular team sports. Tennis
, gymnastics
and golf
are the three most widely played individual sports. A number of native Dutch sports is also practiced, such as fierljeppen
(Polsstokverspringen), beugelen, kaatsen, klootschieten
, kolven
and korfball
.
Organization of sports began at the end 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 78 medals at the Winter Olympic Games
.
An influential figure in Dutch sport was Pim Mulier
. In 1879 he founded the first rugby and football club in the Netherlands, he was involved in forming the first tennis club in 1884, established the predecessor of the Royal Dutch Football Association
five years later, and introduced field hockey in 1896.
(KNVB) is the largest sports federation in the country with 1,076,759 players (in 2005). The organization came into being on December 8, 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 Amsterdam
and Feyenoord Rotterdam
won European Cup
s from 1970 to 1973. In 1988, the national team won the only international title so far at the European Championships. PSV Eindhoven won the European Cup that year too. Ajax
again won the European Cup in 1995.
Many Dutch football players have gained international fame, such as Johan Cruijff, Marco van Basten, Ruud Gullit
, Dennis Bergkamp
, Patrick Kluivert
and Ruud van Nistelrooy
. Rinus Michels
was named coach of the century by FIFA
in 1999. Additional football notoriety came with the Dutch team's participation in the 2010 FIFA World Cup
finals, in which they lost to Spain, giving Spain their first world cup win.
Football stadiums Amsterdam ArenA
and Feijenoord Stadion
have UEFA's 5-star rating
, enabling them to host finals of the UEFA Champions League and the European Championship.
was formed on October 8, 1898 and is, with 185,923 members (in 2005), the fifth largest sports federation. Hoofdklasse hockey is the country's primary hockey competition since 1970, which is contested by 12 clubs (in both the male and female league).
The Netherlands women's national field hockey team
is the most successful team in World Cup history
, having won the title six times. The Dutch male hockey team
has won the world cup
three times and Olympic gold on two occasions. Several Dutch hockey league clubs have won the European Cup
.
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
in 1971 In 2008 there were over 24,000 players active at one of the 184 clubs in the country.
The Netherlands boasts the most successful national baseball team
in Europe, winning the European Baseball Championship
twenty times and frequently representing the continent in international competitions such as the World Baseball Classic
and Baseball World Cup. There is a domestic professional baseball league
whose best team, Neptunus
of Rotterdam
, regularly contends for the European club championship
, including five consecutive titles from 2000–2004.
Baseball is especially popular in the island of Curaçao
, part of the Netherlands Antilles
. In 2005, the Pabao Little League
Champions of Willemstad
advanced all the way to the championship game in the Little League World Series
. Atlanta Braves
outfielder, Andruw Jones
is arguably the most successful and popular baseball
player to emerge from Netherlands Antilles, and in 2006, was a member of the Netherlands national baseball team
that participated in the inaugural World Baseball Classic
. Jair Jurrjens
, pitcher for the Atlanta Braves
became the first pitcher from Curaçao to ever pitch in the major leagues. John Houseman
was the first Dutch-born player in the Major League, when he made his debut for the Chicago Colts in 1894. Bert Blyleven
was an All-Star
baseball player and twice World Series champion
in 1979
and 1987
.
In 2009, the Netherlands twice upset the Dominican Republic in the World Baseball Classic. The Dominican Republic's entire roster played in Major League Baseball
, while the Netherlands only had one player on a Major League roster. The Dominican teams' combined salary total in the Major Leagues was about $84 million, while the Netherlands totals for $400,000. The Dominican Republic were highly favored 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.
was formed in 1883. The premier division is called Hoofdklasse cricket, in which ten teams compete for the national championships.
The Netherlands national cricket team qualified for the cricket world cup
on 4 occasions; 1996, 2003, 2007 and 2011
, Also qualified for 2009 ICC World Twenty20
. Netherlands beat England in the 2009 ICC World Twenty20
which is one of the biggest wins in Dutch cricket history. The country has been considered one of the stronger "minnow" nations for some time. Although the sport is sustained by a small player base, some have won professional contracts in England. Netherlands is ranked within the top 20 teams in the world and has co-hosted the ICC Cricket World Cup in 1999.
Most recently at the 2009 World Twenty20 in England, the Dutch team made a name for themselves by their victory over hosts, England, in the opening match of the tournament. Though they failed to qualify for the Super Eight stage afterward, their win against England has been recognized as a major step forward in cricket development in the Netherlands and among associate and affiliate nations.
is also played in the Netherlands. The first rugby club was HFC
, established on September 15, 1879 by the 14 year old Pim Mulier
, who first encountered the sport in 1870. However HFC switched to association football in 1883. The Delftsche Studenten Rugby Club was the first official rugby club on September 24, 1918. The Dutch Rugby Federation
was founded on September 7, 1920 but ceased to exist in 1923 due to a lack of clubs. They reorganized on October 1, 1932, six months after the Netherlands national rugby union team
played their first match against Belgium. The Dutch Rugby Federation has 8,000 registered players (in 2007).
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. Also noticeable is Richard Krajicek
, who won Wimbledon in 1996, and the Paul Haarhuis
/Jacco Eltingh
doubles team, which won five Grand Slam titles and two world championships. Esther Vergeer
is a four-time Paralympics tennis champion.
Netherlands is home to several tennis tournaments, including The ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament
in Rotterdam
, one of the best visited indoor tournaments in the world.
, Jan Janssen and Joop Zoetemelk
, and seven have been World Champion on the road. On the track, several Olympic titles have been won, most recently by Leontien van Moorsel
who won three Olympic gold medals at the 2000 Sydney
Games. Erik Dekker
won the 2001 Cycling World Cup and Bart Brentjens
captured the gold medal for mountain biking
in the 1996 Summer Olympics
.
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 Champion) and Jochem Uytdehaage
(2 Olympic gold medals in 2002). Thialf
Stadium in Heerenveen
was the first indoor 400m speed skating oval in the world and remains a world-class facility today.
is the most successful Dutch figure skater, winning the World Championships
three times, the European Championships
five times and two Olympic medals. Her Olympic gold in 1964 in Innsbruck
was the first time an athlete from the Netherlands won gold at an Olympic Winter Games. Dianne de Leeuw
won the silver medal in figure skating at the 1976 Winter Olympics
.
Most successful competitor was Fanny Blankers-Koen
, who won four gold medals at the 1948 Summer Olympics
. In 1999, she was voted "Female Athlete of the Century" by the International Association of Athletics Federations
. Other notable athletes include Nelli Cooman
, Ellen van Langen
, Ria Stalman
, Gerard Nijboer
, Maria Gommers, Bertha Brouwer and Lien Gisolf
.
, Anky van Grunsven
, Jos Lansink
and Piet Raymakers
.
, who won the gold medal at the 1936 Summer Olympics
in the 100 m freestyle
, 400 m and 4 x 100 m freestyle. Recent champions include triple Olympic
gold medalist Pieter van den Hoogenband
, four-time Olympic champion Inge de Bruijn
, and the current world record holder of the 50 metres freestyle, Marleen Veldhuis
.
was the first non-Japanese competitor to become World Champion in Judo
in 1961. Other notable judoka include Angelique Seriese
, Wim Ruska
, Dennis van der Geest
and Mark Huizinga
.
, 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
, Badr Hari
, Albert Kraus
, Alistair Overeem
and Melvin Manhoef
.
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
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.
Football is the most popular sport in the Netherlands, with field hockey
Field hockey
Field Hockey, or Hockey, is a team sport in which a team of players attempts to score goals by hitting, pushing or flicking a ball into an opposing team's goal using sticks...
and volleyball
Volleyball
Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive...
as the second and third most popular team sports. Tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
, gymnastics
Gymnastics
Gymnastics is a sport involving performance of exercises requiring physical strength, flexibility, agility, coordination, and balance. Internationally, all of the gymnastic sports are governed by the Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique with each country having its own national governing body...
and golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
are the three most widely played individual sports. A number of native Dutch sports is also practiced, such as fierljeppen
Fierljeppen
Fierljeppen is a traditional sport of the Frisians and of the Dutch. Ljeppen is West Frisian for "to leap". It is a fine example of the close relationship between the Frisian and English languages.-Description:...
(Polsstokverspringen), beugelen, kaatsen, klootschieten
Klootschieten
Klootschieten is a sport in the Netherlands and East Frisia, Germany. In the game, participants try to throw a ball as far as they can...
, kolven
Kolven
Kolven is a game originated in the Netherlands, played by several individuals with heavy curved bats and a ball between two poles on an indoor kolf court...
and korfball
Korfball
Korfball is a mixed gender team sport, with similarities to netball and basketball. A team consists of eight players; four female and four male. A team also includes a coach. It was founded in the Netherlands in 1902 by Nico Broekhuysen. In the Netherlands there are around 580 clubs, and over a...
.
Organization of sports began at the end 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
Summer Olympic Games
The Summer Olympic Games or the Games of the Olympiad are an international multi-sport event, occurring every four years, organized by the International Olympic Committee. Medals are awarded in each event, with gold medals for first place, silver for second and bronze for third, a tradition that...
and another 78 medals at the Winter Olympic Games
Winter Olympic Games
The Winter Olympic Games is a sporting event, which occurs every four years. The first celebration of the Winter Olympics was held in Chamonix, France, in 1924. The original sports were alpine and cross-country skiing, figure skating, ice hockey, Nordic combined, ski jumping and speed skating...
.
An influential figure in Dutch sport was Pim Mulier
Pim Mulier
Willem Johan Herman Mulier was one of the leading figures in sporting history of the Netherlands.-Biography:...
. In 1879 he founded the first rugby and football club in the Netherlands, he was involved in forming the first tennis club in 1884, established the predecessor of the Royal Dutch Football Association
Royal Dutch Football Association
The Royal Dutch Football Association is the governing body of football in the Netherlands. It organises the main Dutch football leagues , the amateur leagues, the KNVB Cup, and the Dutch national football team. It is based in the municipality of Zeist.The KNVB came into being on 8 December 1889...
five years later, and introduced field hockey in 1896.
Football
The Royal Dutch Football AssociationRoyal Dutch Football Association
The Royal Dutch Football Association is the governing body of football in the Netherlands. It organises the main Dutch football leagues , the amateur leagues, the KNVB Cup, and the Dutch national football team. It is based in the municipality of Zeist.The KNVB came into being on 8 December 1889...
(KNVB) is the largest sports federation in the country with 1,076,759 players (in 2005). The organization came into being on December 8, 1899 and was one of the founding members of FIFA
FIFA
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth...
(the world Football Association) in 1904.
Dutch football teams won three Olympic
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
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
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
finals, losing to the tournament's host on both occasions. In the same period, Dutch league sides
Eredivisie
The Eredivisie is the highest football league in the Netherlands. The league was founded in 1956 two years after the start of professional football in the Netherlands. It is currently ranked the ninth best league in Europe by UEFA....
Ajax Amsterdam
Ajax Amsterdam
Amsterdamsche Football Club Ajax , also referred to as AFC Ajax, Ajax Amsterdam or simply Ajax , is a professional football club from Amsterdam, Netherlands...
and Feyenoord Rotterdam
Feyenoord Rotterdam
Feyenoord is a Dutch professional football club located in Rotterdam. Along with Ajax and PSV Eindhoven, Feyenoord is one of the "big three" clubs in the Netherlands. These three clubs and Utrecht and Roda JC are the only clubs never to have been relegated from the Dutch first division...
won European Cup
European Champion Clubs' Cup
The European Champion Clubs' Cup, also known as Coupe des Clubs Champions Européens, or simply the European Cup, is a trophy awarded annually by UEFA to the football club that wins the UEFA Champions League...
s from 1970 to 1973. In 1988, the national team won the only international title so far at the European Championships. PSV Eindhoven won the European Cup that year too. Ajax
Ajax Amsterdam
Amsterdamsche Football Club Ajax , also referred to as AFC Ajax, Ajax Amsterdam or simply Ajax , is a professional football club from Amsterdam, Netherlands...
again won the European Cup in 1995.
Many Dutch football players have gained international fame, such as Johan Cruijff, Marco van Basten, Ruud Gullit
Ruud Gullit
OON is a Dutch football manager and former football player, who played professionally in the 1980s and 1990s. He was the captain of the Netherlands national team that was victorious at Euro 88 and was also a member of the squad for the 1990 World Cup. He was named the European Footballer of the...
, Dennis Bergkamp
Dennis Bergkamp
Dennis Nicolaas Bergkamp , is a former Dutch professional footballer who is currently the assistant manager to Frank de Boer at Ajax. At club level he played for Ajax, Internazionale, and Arsenal, and also represented the Netherlands at international level...
, Patrick Kluivert
Patrick Kluivert
Patrick Stephan Kluivert is a former Dutch footballer, currently head coach of the youth side of FC Twente. He played as a striker for AFC Ajax, A.C. Milan, FC Barcelona, Newcastle United, Valencia CF, PSV Eindhoven, and Lille OSC. Kluivert played for the Dutch national team from 1994 to 2004. He...
and Ruud van Nistelrooy
Ruud van Nistelrooy
Rutgerus Johannes Martinus "Ruud" van Nistelrooy, , is a Dutch footballer who plays as a striker for Málaga CF in Spain's La Liga. He is the second-highest goalscorer in Champions League history with 60 goals...
. Rinus Michels
Rinus Michels
Marinus Jacobus Hendricus Michels OON was a Dutch association football player and coach...
was named coach of the century by FIFA
FIFA
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth...
in 1999. Additional football notoriety came with the Dutch team's participation in the 2010 FIFA World Cup
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
finals, in which they lost to Spain, giving Spain their first world cup win.
Football stadiums Amsterdam ArenA
Amsterdam ArenA
Amsterdam Arena is a stadium in Amsterdam, Netherlands. It is the largest stadium in the nation and it was built from 1993 to 1996 at a cost of €140 million, and was officially opened on 14 August 1996. It has been used for association football, American football, concerts, and other events...
and Feijenoord Stadion
Feijenoord Stadion
The Feijenoord Stadion, better known by its nickname De Kuip , is a stadium in Rotterdam, Netherlands that was completed in 1937. The name is derived from the area "Feijenoord" in Rotterdam, and from the club with the same name .Capacity at completion: 64,000. Maximum capacity: 69,000...
have UEFA's 5-star rating
UEFA Stadia List
UEFA stadium categories are categories for football stadia laid out in the UEFA Stadium Infrastructure Regulations. Using these regulations, stadiums are rated as category one, two, three, or four in ascending ranking order. These categories replaced the previous method of ranking stadiums on one...
, enabling them to host finals of the UEFA Champions League and the European Championship.
Field hockey
The Royal Dutch Hockey FederationKoninklijke Nederlandse Hockey Bond
The Koninklijke Nederlandse Hockey Bond is the official governing body of field hockey in the Netherlands. It governs the field hockey leagues, as well as the Netherlands national field hockey team and the Netherlands women's national field hockey team....
was formed on October 8, 1898 and is, with 185,923 members (in 2005), the fifth largest sports federation. Hoofdklasse hockey is the country's primary hockey competition since 1970, which is contested by 12 clubs (in both the male and female league).
The Netherlands women's national field hockey team
Netherlands women's national field hockey team
The Netherlands' national women's field hockey team is currently number two on the FIH world rankings and they are the 2006 world champions and reigning Olympic champions...
is the most successful team in World Cup history
Women's Hockey World Cup
The Women's Hockey World Cup is the field hockey World Cup competition for women, whose format for qualification and final tournament is similar to the men's. It has been held since 1974. The tournament has been organised by the International Hockey Federation since they merged with the...
, having won the title six times. The Dutch male hockey team
Netherlands national field hockey team
The Netherlands national field hockey team is the national team of the Netherlands that participates in international field hockey matches and tournaments...
has won the world cup
Hockey World Cup
The Hockey World Cup is an international field hockey competition organised by the International Hockey Federation . The tournament was started in 1971...
three times and Olympic gold on two occasions. Several Dutch hockey league clubs have won the European Cup
EuroHockey Club Champions Cup
The EuroHockey Club Champions Cup, previously known as the European Club Championship, is the leading woman's field hockey competition for clubs in Europe. It is held annually. Prior to the creation of the Euro Hockey League in 2007, the woman's competition also had a men's counterpart of the same...
.
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. 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
Netherlands men's national volleyball team
The Netherlands men's national volleyball team is the national team of the Netherlands.In the mid-1980s, the Dutch Volleyball Federation systematically started to build their national team, to catch up with the world’s top. In the first year of the World League in 1990 the team won the second place...
is the most successful exponent, winning the silver medal at the 1992 Summer Olympics
Volleyball at the 1992 Summer Olympics
Volleyball at the 1992 Summer Olympics was represented by two events: men's team and women's team.-Medal table:-Medal summary:-References:*...
and the gold medal four years later
Volleyball at the 1996 Summer Olympics
Volleyball at the 1996 Summer Olympics featured beach volleyball for the first time as the official Olympic sport.-Medal table:-Medal summary:-External links:*...
in Atlanta. The biggest success of the women's national team
Netherlands women's national volleyball team
The Netherlands women's national volleyball team is the national team of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It is governed by the Nederlandse Volleyball Bond .- Current Squad :as of 2011 Pre-European Olympic Qualification Tournament:...
was winning the European Championship in 1995 and the World Grand Prix in 2007
Baseball
The Royal Dutch Baseball Federation was established on March 12, 1912. They merged with the softball federation to form the Royal Dutch Baseball and Softball FederationKoninklijke Nederlandse Baseball en Softball Bond
The Koninklijke Nederlandse Baseball en Softball Bond is the national governing body of baseball in the Netherlands. Baseball is played in all the provinces, but it struggles for popularity due to the popularity of many other sports, including the sport of soccer, in which the Netherlands has...
in 1971 In 2008 there were over 24,000 players active at one of the 184 clubs in the country.
The Netherlands boasts the most successful national baseball team
Netherlands national baseball team
The Netherlands national baseball team is the national baseball team of the Netherlands. They are currently the top team in Europe and currently the sixth ranked men's baseball team in the IBAF World Rankings....
in Europe, winning the European Baseball Championship
European Baseball Championship
The European Baseball Championship is the main championship tournament between national baseball teams in Europe, governed by the Confederation of European Baseball . Italy won the inaugural European Baseball Championship in , and the competition has since been dominated by the Italian team and the...
twenty times and frequently representing the continent in international competitions such as the World Baseball Classic
World Baseball Classic
The World Baseball Classic is an international baseball tournament sanctioned by the International Baseball Federation and created by Major League Baseball , the Major League Baseball Players Association , and other professional baseball leagues and their players associations around the world...
and Baseball World Cup. There is a domestic professional baseball league
Honkbal Hoofdklasse
The Honkbal Hoofdklasse is the highest level of professional baseball in the Netherlands. It is an eight-team league that plays a 42-game schedule and is overseen by the Royal Netherlands Baseball and Softball Federation . Games are played principally on weekends...
whose best team, Neptunus
Neptunus
Neptunus is the baseball team of the Neptunus Sporting Club in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. The title sponsor of the club is currently DOOR Training so that the official name of the team is DOOR Neptunus....
of Rotterdam
Rotterdam
Rotterdam is the second-largest city in the Netherlands and one of the largest ports in the world. Starting as a dam on the Rotte river, Rotterdam has grown into a major international commercial centre...
, regularly contends for the European club championship
European Cup (baseball)
The European Cup is an annual baseball tournament, sanctioned and created by the Confederation of European Baseball . The tournament features the top teams of the professional baseball leagues in Europe....
, including five consecutive titles from 2000–2004.
Baseball is especially popular in the island of Curaçao
Curaçao
Curaçao is an island in the southern Caribbean Sea, off the Venezuelan coast. The Country of Curaçao , which includes the main island plus the small, uninhabited island of Klein Curaçao , is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands...
, part of the Netherlands Antilles
Netherlands Antilles
The Netherlands Antilles , also referred to informally as the Dutch Antilles, was an autonomous Caribbean country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, consisting of two groups of islands in the Lesser Antilles: Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao , in Leeward Antilles just off the Venezuelan coast; and Sint...
. In 2005, the Pabao Little League
Little League
Little League Baseball and Softball is a non-profit organization in South Williamsport, Pennsylvania, United States which organizes local youth baseball and softball leagues throughout the U.S...
Champions of Willemstad
Willemstad, Netherlands Antilles
Willemstad is the capital city of Curaçao, an island in the southern Caribbean Sea that forms a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Formerly the capital of the Netherlands Antilles prior to its dissolution in 2010, it has an estimated population of 140,000. The historic centre of...
advanced all the way to the championship game in the Little League World Series
Little League World Series
The Little League Baseball World Series is a baseball tournament for children aged 11 to 13 years old. It was originally called the National Little League Tournament and was later renamed for the World Series in Major League Baseball. It was first held in 1947 and is held every August in South...
. Atlanta Braves
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
outfielder, Andruw Jones
Andruw Jones
Andruw Rudolf Jones is a Major League Baseball outfielder who is a free agent.Jones made his debut during the 1996 season. In the 1996 World Series, Jones became the youngest player to ever homered in the postseason...
is arguably the most successful and popular baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
player to emerge from Netherlands Antilles, and in 2006, was a member of the Netherlands national baseball team
Netherlands national baseball team
The Netherlands national baseball team is the national baseball team of the Netherlands. They are currently the top team in Europe and currently the sixth ranked men's baseball team in the IBAF World Rankings....
that participated in the inaugural World Baseball Classic
World Baseball Classic
The World Baseball Classic is an international baseball tournament sanctioned by the International Baseball Federation and created by Major League Baseball , the Major League Baseball Players Association , and other professional baseball leagues and their players associations around the world...
. Jair Jurrjens
Jair Jurrjens
-Childhood:Jurrjens grew in a quiet neighborhood called ´Kura Piedra´ pronounced in Dutch as ´Steenkoraal or Stenenkoraal´, and was always active in baseball. His older brother, Carl Jr., also played baseball.Jurrjens speaks English, Spanish, Dutch and Papiamentu....
, pitcher for the Atlanta Braves
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
became the first pitcher from Curaçao to ever pitch in the major leagues. John Houseman
John Houseman (baseball)
John Franklin Houseman was a Major League Baseball player. He played in for the Chicago Colts, and in for the St. Louis Browns, primarily as a second baseman....
was the first Dutch-born player in the Major League, when he made his debut for the Chicago Colts in 1894. Bert Blyleven
Bert Blyleven
Bert Blyleven is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who played from to , and was best known for his curveball. Blyleven was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2011...
was an All-Star
Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The Major League Baseball All-Star Game, also known as the "Midsummer Classic", is an annual baseball game between players from the National League and the American League, currently selected by a combination of fans, players, coaches, and managers...
baseball player and twice World Series champion
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...
in 1979
1979 World Series
The 1979 World Series matched the National League's Pittsburgh Pirates against the American League's Baltimore Orioles , with the Pirates coming back from a three games to one deficit to win the Series in seven games...
and 1987
1987 World Series
The 1987 World Series pitted the Minnesota Twins versus the St. Louis Cardinals.Minnesota was victorious in a World Series that was the first in which the home team won every game...
.
In 2009, the Netherlands twice upset the Dominican Republic in the World Baseball Classic. The Dominican Republic's entire roster played in Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
, while the Netherlands only had one player on a Major League roster. The Dominican teams' combined salary total in the Major Leagues was about $84 million, while the Netherlands totals for $400,000. The Dominican Republic were highly favored 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.
Cricket
Cricket is a popular sport in the Netherlands. The Royal Dutch Cricket FederationKoninklijke Nederlandse Cricket Bond
The Koninklijke Nederlandse Cricket Bond is the governing body of cricket in the Netherlands. It was formed in 1883 and received a Royal charter in 1958.-See also:*Dutch cricket team*Dutch women's cricket team...
was formed in 1883. The premier division is called Hoofdklasse cricket, in which ten teams compete for the national championships.
The Netherlands national cricket team qualified for the cricket world cup
Cricket World Cup
The ICC Cricket World Cup is the premier international championship of men's One Day International cricket. The event is organised by the sport's governing body, the International Cricket Council , with preliminary qualification rounds leading up to a finals tournament which is held every four years...
on 4 occasions; 1996, 2003, 2007 and 2011
2011 Cricket World Cup
The 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup was the tenth Cricket World Cup. It was played in India, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh. It was Bangladesh's first time co-hosting a World Cup...
, Also qualified for 2009 ICC World Twenty20
2009 ICC World Twenty20
The 2009 ICC World Twenty20 was an international Twenty20 cricket tournament which took place in England in June 2009. It was the second ICC World Twenty20 tournament, following the inaugural event in South Africa in September 2007...
. Netherlands beat England in the 2009 ICC World Twenty20
2009 ICC World Twenty20
The 2009 ICC World Twenty20 was an international Twenty20 cricket tournament which took place in England in June 2009. It was the second ICC World Twenty20 tournament, following the inaugural event in South Africa in September 2007...
which is one of the biggest wins in Dutch cricket history. The country has been considered one of the stronger "minnow" nations for some time. Although the sport is sustained by a small player base, some have won professional contracts in England. Netherlands is ranked within the top 20 teams in the world and has co-hosted the ICC Cricket World Cup in 1999.
Most recently at the 2009 World Twenty20 in England, the Dutch team made a name for themselves by their victory over hosts, England, in the opening match of the tournament. Though they failed to qualify for the Super Eight stage afterward, their win against England has been recognized as a major step forward in cricket development in the Netherlands and among associate and affiliate nations.
Rugby union
Rugby unionRugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
is also played in the Netherlands. The first rugby club was HFC
Koninklijke HFC
Koninklijke HFC is a football club in Haarlem, the Netherlands. It is the oldest club in Dutch history, founded by Pim Mulier in 1879. During the first years the only team played rugby but due to financial problems they switched to association football...
, established on September 15, 1879 by the 14 year old Pim Mulier
Pim Mulier
Willem Johan Herman Mulier was one of the leading figures in sporting history of the Netherlands.-Biography:...
, who first encountered the sport in 1870. However HFC switched to association football in 1883. The Delftsche Studenten Rugby Club was the first official rugby club on September 24, 1918. The Dutch Rugby Federation
Nederlandse Rugby Bond
The Dutch Rugby Union is the governing body for rugby union in the Netherlands. It was founded in 1932 and became affiliated to the International Rugby Board in 1988.-See also:*Rugby union in the Netherlands*Netherlands national rugby union team...
was founded on September 7, 1920 but ceased to exist in 1923 due to a lack of clubs. They reorganized on October 1, 1932, six months after the Netherlands national rugby union team
Netherlands national rugby union team
The Netherlands national rugby union team are a national sporting side of the Netherlands, representing them at rugby union. The side first played in 1930.-History:...
played their first match against Belgium. The Dutch Rugby Federation has 8,000 registered players (in 2007).
Tennis
The Royal Dutch Tennis Federation was founded on June 5, 1899 and is, with 709,277 members (in 2005), the second largest sports federation in the Netherlands.One of the most successful tennis players was Tom Okker
Tom Okker
Thomas S. Okker is a former Dutch tennis player. He was ranked among the world's top 10 singles players for seven consecutive years, 1968–74, reaching a career high of world # 3 in 1969. He also was ranked World # 1 in doubles in 1969.-Tennis career:Okker was the Dutch champion from 1964 through...
, 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. Also noticeable is Richard Krajicek
Richard Krajicek
Richard Peter Stanislav Krajicek is a Dutch former professional tennis player. In 1996 he won the men's singles title at Wimbledon, the only Dutch player to have done so. In the quarterfinals of that tournament he defeated Pete Sampras. This was Sampras' only singles defeat at Wimbledon between...
, who won Wimbledon in 1996, and the Paul Haarhuis
Paul Haarhuis
Paul Vincent Nicholas Haarhuis is a Dutch former professional tennis player. He is a former World No. 1 doubles player. He won six Grand Slam men's doubles titles, five with Jacco Eltingh and one with Yevgeny Kafelnikov.-Personal life:...
/Jacco Eltingh
Jacco Eltingh
Jacco Folkert Eltingh is a former professional male tennis player and former World No. 1 doubles player from the Netherlands.He is best remembered for his success in doubles with fellow countryman Paul Haarhuis...
doubles team, which won five Grand Slam titles and two world championships. Esther Vergeer
Esther Vergeer
Esther Vergeer is a Dutch wheelchair tennis player. Combining singles and doubles, she has won 39 Grand Slams, 22 year-end championships and 5 Paralympics titles. Vergeer has been the world number one wheel chair tennis player since 1999. In singles, she has not been beaten since January 2003 and...
is a four-time Paralympics tennis champion.
Netherlands is home to several tennis tournaments, including The ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament
ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament
The ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament is a professional tennis tournament played on indoor hard courts. It is currently part of the 500 series of the ATP Tour...
in Rotterdam
Rotterdam
Rotterdam is the second-largest city in the Netherlands and one of the largest ports in the world. Starting as a dam on the Rotte river, Rotterdam has grown into a major international commercial centre...
, one of the best visited indoor tournaments in the world.
Cycling
Royal Dutch Cycling Union was instituted on January 26, 1928. Two Dutch road racing cyclist have won the Tour de FranceTour de France
The Tour de France is an annual bicycle race held in France and nearby countries. First staged in 1903, the race covers more than and lasts three weeks. As the best known and most prestigious of cycling's three "Grand Tours", the Tour de France attracts riders and teams from around the world. The...
, Jan Janssen and Joop Zoetemelk
Joop Zoetemelk
Hendrik Gerardus Jozef "Joop" Zoetemelk is a retired professional racing cyclist from the Netherlands who has emigrated to France. He started the Tour de France 16 times and finished every time, a record. He won the race in 1980 and also came eighth, fifth, fourth and second...
, and seven have been World Champion on the road. On the track, several Olympic titles have been won, most recently by Leontien van Moorsel
Leontien van Moorsel
Leontine Martha Henrica Petronella van Moorsel is a former Dutch racing cyclist.Van Moorsel started her career in the late 1980s and was soon one of the best cyclists in the world. She won major races both on the track, and on the road...
who won three Olympic gold medals at the 2000 Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
Games. Erik Dekker
Erik Dekker
Hendrik "Erik" Dekker is a retired Dutch professional road racing cyclist active from 1992 until 2006. He was a member of the Rabobank cycling team from 1996 till 2006. In 2007 he became one of Rabobank's team managers.-Amateur career:...
won the 2001 Cycling World Cup and Bart Brentjens
Bart Brentjens
Bart Jan-Baptist Marie Brentjens is a Dutch racing cyclist in mountain biking.Brentjens won a gold medal for mountain biking in the 1996 Summer Olympics, the first to recognize cross-country mountain biking as an event. He followed this with bronze in the 2004 Summer Olympics...
captured the gold medal for mountain biking
Mountain biking
Mountain biking is a sport which consists of riding bicycles off-road, often over rough terrain, using specially adapted mountain bikes. Mountain bikes share similarities with other bikes, but incorporate features designed to enhance durability and performance in rough terrain.Mountain biking can...
in the 1996 Summer Olympics
1996 Summer Olympics
The 1996 Summer Olympics of Atlanta, officially known as the Games of the XXVI Olympiad and unofficially known as the Centennial Olympics, was an international multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1996 in Atlanta, Georgia, United States....
.
Ice skating
The Royal Dutch Skating Federation was formed on September 17, 1882. With 161,673 members they are the seventh largest sports federation (in 2005).Speed skating
After a successful period around 1900, with Jaap EdenJaap Eden
Jacobus Johannes "Jaap" Eden was a Dutch athlete. He is the only male athlete to has won world championships in both speed skating and bicycle racing .- Early life :Jaap Eden was born in Groningen to Johannes Eden and Maria Baale...
and Coen de Koning
Coen de Koning
Coen de Koning was the second Dutch speed skating World Champion.Born in Edam, North Holland, Netherlands, he won the speed skating title in his only World Championship competition in 1905 in Groningen , Groningen , Netherlands...
as World Champions, Dutch speed skating successes became numerous in the 1960s. Champions Kees Verkerk
Kees Verkerk
Cornelis Arie Verkerk , better known as Kees Verkerk, is a former speed skater from the Netherlands.-Short biography:...
and Ard Schenk
Ard Schenk
Adrianus "Ard" Schenk is a former speed skater from the Netherlands, who is considered to be one of the best in history. His first Olympic success came in 1968, when he won a silver medal at the 1968 Winter Olympics. Between 1970 and 1972 Winter Olympics, Schenk won three consecutive World...
were immensely popular, causing a real speed skating hype in the country. Successes continue up to today, with the likes of Yvonne van Gennip
Yvonne van Gennip
Yvonne Maria van Gennip was one of the most successful female Dutch all-round speed skaters. Her main success dates from the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, where she surprisingly won three gold medals...
(3 Olympic gold medals in 1988), Rintje Ritsma
Rintje Ritsma
Robert Rintje Ritsma is a former Dutch long track speed skater. His nickname is the Beer van Lemmer, which translates to the Bear from Lemmer.-Speed skating career:He has won the World Allround Championships 4 times...
(4-time World Champion) and Jochem Uytdehaage
Jochem Uytdehaage
Jochem Simon Uytdehaage is a former Dutch long track speed skater and two-time Olympic champion. He retired in 2007 at the age of 30, following two consecutive seasons of poor results.-Biography:...
(2 Olympic gold medals in 2002). Thialf
Thialf
Thialf is an ice arena in Heerenveen, Netherlands. The stadium is used for long track speed skating, short track speed skating, ice hockey, figure skating, and non-sports events. The outdoor rink was opened in 1967, and the indoor stadium was opened in 1986. Several world records were set in the...
Stadium in Heerenveen
Heerenveen
Heerenveen is a town in the Heerenveen municipality of the province of Friesland , in the north of the Netherlands.- History :The town was established in 1551 by three lords as a location for the purpose of digging peat which was used for fuel, hence the name...
was the first indoor 400m speed skating oval in the world and remains a world-class facility today.
Figure skating
Sjoukje DijkstraSjoukje Dijkstra
Sjoukje Rosalinde Dijkstra is a Dutch figure skater. She is the 1964 Olympic champion in Ladies' Singles, the 1960 Olympic silver medalist, a three-time World champion , five-time European champion , and the six-time Dutch national champion .Following the retirement of Carol Heiss in 1960, who...
is the most successful Dutch figure skater, winning the World Championships
World Figure Skating Championships
The World Figure Skating Championships is an annual figure skating competition sanctioned by the International Skating Union in which elite figure skaters compete for the title of World Champion...
three times, the European Championships
European Figure Skating Championships
The European Figure Skating Championships is an annual figure skating competition in which figure skaters compete for the title of European Champion...
five times and two Olympic medals. Her Olympic gold in 1964 in Innsbruck
Innsbruck
- Main sights :- Buildings :*Golden Roof*Kaiserliche Hofburg *Hofkirche with the cenotaph of Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor*Altes Landhaus...
was the first time an athlete from the Netherlands won gold at an Olympic Winter Games. Dianne de Leeuw
Dianne de Leeuw
Dianne Margaret de Leeuw is a Dutch figure skater. She is the 1975 World champion, the 1976 European champion, and the 1976 Olympic silver medalist.-Career:...
won the silver medal in figure skating at the 1976 Winter Olympics
1976 Winter Olympics
The 1976 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XII Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated February 4–15, 1976 in Innsbruck, Austria...
.
Athletics
The Royal Dutch Athletics Association came into existence on April 28, 1901 and is, with 108,934 members (in 2005), the 13th largest sports federation.Most successful competitor was Fanny Blankers-Koen
Fanny Blankers-Koen
Francina "Fanny" Elsje Blankers-Koen was a Dutch athlete, best known for winning four gold medals at the 1948 Summer Olympics in London. She accomplished this as a 30 year old mother of two, during a time when many disregarded women's athletics...
, who won four gold medals at the 1948 Summer Olympics
1948 Summer Olympics
The 1948 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XIV Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was held in London, England, United Kingdom. After a 12-year hiatus because of World War II, these were the first Summer Olympics since the 1936 Games in Berlin...
. In 1999, she was voted "Female Athlete of the Century" by the International Association of Athletics Federations
International Association of Athletics Federations
The International Association of Athletics Federations is the international governing body for the sport of athletics. It was founded in 1912 at its first congress in Stockholm, Sweden by representatives from 17 national athletics federations as the International Amateur Athletics Federation...
. Other notable athletes include Nelli Cooman
Nelli Cooman
Cornelli Antoinette Hariëtte Cooman is a former Dutch athlete of Surinamese origin. She was World Champion twice, six times European Champion and nineteen times national Champion of the Netherlands....
, Ellen van Langen
Ellen van Langen
Ellen Gezina Maria van Langen is a former Dutch middle distance runner. Van Langen has a degree in economics at the University of Amsterdam. Before she started running, she played football....
, Ria Stalman
Ria Stalman
Maria Geertruida Stalman is a retired discus thrower from the Netherlands, who won the gold medal at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, United States. This earned her the Dutch Sportswoman of the year award the same year.Her personal best throw was 71.22 metres, achieved in July 1984...
, Gerard Nijboer
Gerard Nijboer
Gerard Nijboer is a former Dutch athlete who competed mainly in the Marathon.Nijboer competed for the Netherlands in three consecutive Summer Olympics, starting in 1980 , when he won the silver medal in the Men's Marathon...
, Maria Gommers, Bertha Brouwer and Lien Gisolf
Lien Gisolf
Carolina Anna "Lien" Gisolf was a Dutch athlete, who competed mainly in the high jump in the twenties and thirties of last century....
.
Equestrianism
The Royal Dutch Equestrian Federation in its present form was founded after a fusion on January 1, 2002. It is the sixth largest sports federation in the country, with 180,023 members in 2005. Numerous Dutch horseback riders have become world and Olympic champions in their field, including Charles Pahud de MortangesCharles Pahud de Mortanges
Charles Ferdinand Pahud de Mortanges was a Dutch horse rider who competed in the 1924 Summer Olympics, in the 1928 Summer Olympics, in the 1932 Summer Olympics, and in the 1936 Summer Olympics....
, Anky van Grunsven
Anky van Grunsven
Theodora Elisabeth Gerarda van Grunsven is a Dutch dressage champion who won the gold medal in the 2000 Olympics with her horse Bonfire and gold in the 2004 Olympics and in the 2008 Olympics with Salinero.Van Grunsven has also dominated World Cup Dressage competition, being named the World...
, Jos Lansink
Jos Lansink
Jozeph Johannes Gerardus Marinus Lansink is an equestrian from The Netherlands, but currently representing Belgium, who competes in the sport of show jumping....
and Piet Raymakers
Piet Raymakers
Petrus Josephus Raijmakers is a former equestrian from The Netherlands.Raijmakers won the gold medal in the show jumping team event at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain. He did so alongside Jos Lansink, Jan Tops and Bert Romp...
.
Swimming
Formed on August 14, 1888, The Royal Dutch Swimming Association has 148,599 members and is the eight largest sports federation. Famous competitors include Rie MastenbroekRie Mastenbroek
Hendrika "Rie" Wilhelmina Mastenbroek was a Dutch swimmer and a triple Olympic champion.-Biography:...
, who won the gold medal at the 1936 Summer Olympics
1936 Summer Olympics
The 1936 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XI Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event which was held in 1936 in Berlin, Germany. Berlin won the bid to host the Games over Barcelona, Spain on April 26, 1931, at the 29th IOC Session in Barcelona...
in the 100 m freestyle
Freestyle swimming
Freestyle is an unregulated swimming style used in swimming competitions according to the rules of FINA. The front crawl stroke is almost universally used during a freestyle race, as this style is generally the fastest...
, 400 m and 4 x 100 m freestyle. Recent champions include triple Olympic
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
gold medalist Pieter van den Hoogenband
Pieter van den Hoogenband
Pieter Cornelis Ruud Martijn van den Hoogenband is a Dutch former swimmer and a triple Olympic champion.-Personal life:...
, four-time Olympic champion Inge de Bruijn
Inge de Bruijn
Inge de Bruijn is a Dutch former swimmer. She was a four-time Olympic champion and a former world record holder.-Biography:De Bruijn was born in Barendrecht, South Holland, and tried several sports before settling with swimming....
, and the current world record holder of the 50 metres freestyle, Marleen Veldhuis
Marleen Veldhuis
Magdalena Johanna Maria Veldhuis is a professional swimmer from the Netherlands. She is world record holder in 4 events . Veldhuis has won 6 world championships gold medals and 20 European championships gold medals...
.
Judo
The Dutch Judo Federation in its current form was instituted on September 15, 1979. Anton GeesinkAnton Geesink
Antonius "Anton" Johannes Geesink was a Dutch 10th-dan judoka from Utrecht. He was a three-time World Judo Champion , Olympic Gold Medalist and won 21 European championships...
was the first non-Japanese competitor to become World Champion in Judo
Judo
is a modern martial art and combat sport created in Japan in 1882 by Jigoro Kano. Its most prominent feature is its competitive element, where the object is to either throw or takedown one's opponent to the ground, immobilize or otherwise subdue one's opponent with a grappling maneuver, or force an...
in 1961. Other notable judoka include Angelique Seriese
Angelique Seriese
Angelique Elisabeth Seriese is a former Dutch judoka, who became world champion in the 78 kg category at the 1995 World Judo Championships....
, Wim Ruska
Wim Ruska
Willem Ruska is a retired judoka from the Netherlands.During his career in the 1960s and 1970s he won seven European titles, five in the +93kg category and two in the open category . He furthermore won two world titles and two Olympic titles...
, Dennis van der Geest
Dennis van der Geest
Dennis van der Geest is a Dutch judoka, who won the bronze medal in the men's heavyweight division at the 2004 Summer Olympics. He was born in Haarlem, Noord-Holland....
and Mark Huizinga
Mark Huizinga
Mark Huizinga is a Dutch judoka and Olympic champion.Huizinga was born in Vlaardingen, Zuid-Holland in Netherlands in 1973. He won the gold medal in the men's under 90 kg class at the 2000 Summer Olympics by defeating Brazil's Carlos Honorato by ippon. He took bronze at the 1996 and 2004...
.
Kickboxing
Jan PlasJan Plas
Jan Plas was a Dutch kickboxing trainer and founder of the Mejiro Gym in Amsterdam. He is considered to be one of the fathers of kickboxing in the Netherlands.Plas began his career in martial arts in karate, learning Kyokushin from Jon Bluming...
, who learned kickboxing from Kenji Kurosaki, brought kickboxing to the Netherlands in 1978 where he founded Mejiro Gym
Mejiro Gym
Mejiro Gym is a kickboxing gym headquartered in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. The gym is considered the "birthplace" of Dutch kickboxing.-History:...
and the NKBB (The Dutch Kickboxing Association). Ever since its inception in 1993, Dutch kickboxers have dominated the K-1 scene, causing "Wimbledon effects
Wimbledon Effect
The Wimbledon Effect is a chiefly British and Japanese analogy which compares the tennis fame of the Wimbledon Championships, held at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in Wimbledon, London, with the economic success of the United Kingdom's financial services industries — especially...
", with two record holding title champions Ernesto Hoost
Ernesto Hoost
Ernesto Fritz "Mr. Perfect" Hoost is a Dutch former kickboxer and four-time K-1 World Champion. He made his debut in 1993 at the K-1 World Grand Prix 1993, where he came just one win short of the world title...
and Semmy Schilt
Semmy Schilt
Semmy Schilt , also known as Sem Schilt, is a Dutch Ashihara karateka, kickboxer, mixed martial artist and four time K-1 World GP champion. He is the first and only fighter in K-1 history to win the championship three times in a row, and also shares the record with Ernesto Hoost for most GPs won,...
, other world champions and contenders include Peter Aerts
Peter Aerts
Peter "The Dutch Lumberjack" Aerts is a Dutch super heavyweight kickboxer. He is a three-time K-1 World Grand Prix and Muay Thai World Champion. Aerts is best known for his powerful strikes and high kicks.- Biography :...
, Remy Bonjasky
Remy Bonjasky
Remy "The Flying Gentleman" Bonjasky is a Dutch super heavyweight kickboxer of Surinamese descent. He is a three-time K-1 World Grand Prix champion, who has won the title in 2003, 2004, and 2008...
, Andy Souwer
Andy Souwer
Andreas "Andy" Souwer is a Dutch welterweight shoot boxer. He is two time K-1 World MAX champion as well as a three time Shootboxing World tournament champion, fighting out of Mejiro Gym, Amsterdam, Netherlands....
, Badr Hari
Badr Hari
Badr "The Golden Boy" Hari is a Moroccan-Dutch super heavyweight kickboxer, fighting out of Mike's Gym in Amsterdam. He is a former K-1 Heavyweight champion and K-1 World Grand Prix 2009 finalist. As of May 2011, Hari is ranked the #2 heavyweight in the world by LiverKick.com...
, Albert Kraus
Albert Kraus
Albert “The Hurricane” Kraus is a Dutch welterweight kickboxer. He was the first K-1 World MAX 2002 champion and has also held four separate world titles in kickboxing and Muay Thai...
, Alistair Overeem
Alistair Overeem
Alistair Cees Overeem is a British born Dutch mixed martial artist and kickboxer, signed to the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He is the former Strikeforce Heavyweight Champion, Dream Interim Heavyweight Champion, K-1 World Grand Prix Champion, and made history by being the only fighter in combat...
and Melvin Manhoef
Melvin Manhoef
Melvin Manhoef is a Dutch-Surinamese Muay Thai kickboxer and mixed martial artist, trained by Mike Passenier and fighting out of Mike's Gym in Amsterdam, Netherlands. In kickboxing, he is the current It's Showtime 85MAX World Champion, and in MMA he was the Cage Rage Light Heavyweight World champion...
.
Other notable athletes
- Jan LammersJan LammersJohannes "Jan" Lammers, , is a racing driver and team principal from the Netherlands. He participated in 41 Formula One Grand Prix races, debuting on January 21, 1979. He won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1988 and later participated in the race with his own team Racing for Holland...
is a former Formula OneFormula OneFormula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...
driver, who won the 24 Hours of Le Mans24 Hours of Le MansThe 24 Hours of Le Mans is the world's oldest sports car race in endurance racing, held annually since near the town of Le Mans, France. Commonly known as the Grand Prix of Endurance and Efficiency, race teams have to balance speed against the cars' ability to run for 24 hours without sustaining...
with Jaguar in 1988. - Jan de Rooy is a rally truckTruck RacingTruck racing is a form of motor racing which involves modified versions of heavy tractor units on racing circuits.The sport started in England in 1984 with the first race held at Donington Park and enjoyed great success, but declined in the 1990s. However, in the last few years the profile of...
driver, with his TurboTwin DAFDAF TrucksDAF Trucks NV is a Dutch truck manufacturing company and a division of PACCAR. Its headquarters and main plant are in Eindhoven. Cabs and axle assemblies are produced at its Westerlo plant in Belgium...
racing truck he won the truck category of the Dakar RallyDakar RallyThe Dakar Rally is an annual rally raid type of off-road automobile race, organised by the Amaury Sport Organisation...
in 19871987 Dakar Rally1987 Dakar Rally also known as the 1987 Paris-Dakar Rally was the 9th running of the Dakar Rally event. The rally was won by 1981 world rally champion, Ari Vatanen. Cyril Neveu won his fifth motorcycle title after Hubert Auriol broke both ankles in a fall and retired....
and also finished 11th overall. - Hans StaceyHans StaceyHans Stacey is a Dutch rally car driver. He participated in various national championships, where he became the champion of his country in 1991 and 1992, driving a Mitsubishi Galant VR 4...
is a rally carRallyingRallying, also known as rally racing, is a form of auto racing that takes place on public or private roads with modified production or specially built road-legal cars...
driver. Won in 20072007 Dakar RallyThe 2007 Dakar Rally was the 29th running of the event. It started in Lisbon, Portugal on 6 January and ran through Europe and Africa until 21 January 2007.-Entrants:...
the Dakar Rally for trucks with his MAN truck. - Raymond Van BarneveldRaymond van BarneveldRaymond van Barneveld , nickname Barney is a professional darts player. He is a five time World Darts Champion, and two time UK Open Champion. From January to June 2008, he was the PDC world number one ranked player...
Former world #1 dart player, 5 time World Dart Champion - Auto racingAuto racingAuto racing is a motorsport involving the racing of cars for competition. It is one of the world's most watched televised sports.-The beginning of racing:...
driver Arie LuyendykArie LuyendykArie Luyendyk, originally Arie Luijendijk is a Dutch auto racing driver, twice winner of the Indianapolis 500....
is a twice winner of the Indianapolis 500Indianapolis 500The Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, also known as the Indianapolis 500, the 500 Miles at Indianapolis, the Indy 500 or The 500, is an American automobile race, held annually, typically on the last weekend in May at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana...
. - Rower Nico RienksNico RienksNicolaas Hessel Rienks is a former rower from the Netherlands and two-time Olympic gold medallist....
was awarded the prestigious Thomas Keller MedalThomas Keller MedalThe Thomas Keller Medal is given by the International Rowing Federation for an outstanding international career in the sport of rowing. It is the highest honor in rowing and is awarded to any athlete within five years of his/her retirement from the sport...
by the International Rowing FederationInternational Rowing FederationThe Fédération Internationale des Sociétés d'Aviron, or FISA for short, is the International Rowing Federation which is the governing body for international Rowing. Its current president is Denis Oswald...
in 2004. - BasketballBasketballBasketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
player Rik SmitsRik SmitsRik Smits is a retired Dutch professional basketball player who spent his entire professional career with the Indiana Pacers of the National Basketball Association. The 7'4" center was drafted by the Pacers out of Marist College with the second overall pick in the 1988 NBA Draft...
was selected for the NBA All-Star Game in 19981998 NBA All-Star GameThe 1998 NBA All-Star Game was the 48th edition of the North American National Basketball Association All-Star Game. The event was held at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The East won the game 135–114. This game was the debut of Kobe Bryant as the youngest all-star in NBA history at 19...
, and helped the Indiana PacersIndiana PacersThe Indiana Pacers are a professional basketball team based in Indianapolis, Indiana. They are members of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association...
reach their only NBA final2000 NBA FinalsThe 2000 NBA Finals was the championship round of the 1999-2000 National Basketball Association season. The Los Angeles Lakers of the Western Conference took on the Indiana Pacers of the Eastern Conference for the title, with the Lakers holding home court advantage...
in 2000.
See also
- Netherlands at the OlympicsNetherlands at the OlympicsThe Netherlands first sent athletes to the Olympic Games in 1900, and has participated in almost all Games since then. In 1956, the nation boycotted the Games in Melbourne as a protest against the Soviet invasion in Hungary just a few weeks before the beginning of the Games...
- The Dutch Sportsman and Sportswoman of the YearDutch Sportsman of the yearThe Dutch Sportsman and Sportswoman of the Year are chosen annually by Dutch athletes from a shortlist compiled by sports journalists. The elections are organized by the Dutch Olympic Committee.- Sporter of the Year :...