Sport is important in the Netherlands. The Olympic Games and European and world championships draw millions of television viewers, and there are always thousands of Dutch fans to cheer on the athletes in the stadium. Over the last few years, sport has also gained in popularity as an active leisure pursuit.

• Working towards an active society
• Sport and solidarity
• Sporting excellence
• Sports facilities

Working towards an active society

Sport is important in the Netherlands. The Olympic Games and European and world championships draw millions of television viewers, and there are always thousands of Dutch fans to cheer on the athletes in the stadium. Over the last few years, sport has also gained in popularity as an active leisure pursuit.
The national game is soccer. The Dutch soccer association KNVB has more than a million members, making it the country’s largest sporting organisation. Tennis, with 70,000 registered players, is the second most popular sport, ahead of athletics/running, field hockey, golf and cycling. But many sports don’t require joining a club, such as swimming, recreational cycling, jogging and going to the gym.

Sport and solidarity

In the next four years, government will work with local authorities and sport federations and clubs to promote the concept of the sporting society, with physically active citizens and a principal role for the values of good sportsmanship. A healthy and active lifestyle will be promoted as the natural choice at schools, in the community and at work.
Special attention will go to groups with very low levels of participation in sports, such as young people from ethnic minorities. Not only because activity is healthy, but also because sport has the potential to unite people and bridge cultural differences.

Sporting excellence

The Netherlands always sends a sizeable contingent of athletes to major international sporting events. And many athletes come home with medals. Yuri van Gelder was crowned rings champion at the 2005 World Cup for gymnastics. In 2006, the Dutch national team coached by Foppe de Haan, claimed the European under-21 soccer championship trophy for the first time, while the ladies’ sitting volleyball team became world champion in that sport.
In the next few years, the Netherlands will work to become one of the top ten sporting nations of the world. Programmes to scout and develop talented youngsters and to support leading coaches should result in more medals at international tournaments.

Sports facilities

We need modern sports facilities in order for our athletes to put down world-class performances. That is why the government is supporting the renovation of sports facilities, like the athletics stadium in Hengelo, site of the annual FBK games.
Government funding also goes to new facilities, such as the National Swimming Centre in Eindhoven and the Apeldoorn Omnisports Centre which, when completed in 2007, will house both an indoor athletic track and a cycling track.