Toon van Helfteren (NED)
04/06/2015
FIBA Family
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An exciting new beginning for the Netherlands

THE HAGUE (EuroBasket 2015) - Basketball in the Netherlands is experiencing a renaissance of sorts.

This is evident with the national team's qualification for EuroBasket 2015, and with the renewed commitment shown to the program by the players, both past and present, and support from the business community.

In the past, Dutch basketball has not had enough financial backing.

It was a debilitating factor at all levels of the sport, including the national programs.

Now, there is more support.

The latest arrived last week when telecommunications giants KPN launched a social initiative called TEAMKPN Sportfonds, which sponsors team sports that are not supported by the Dutch Olympic committee.

Each year, new projects are to be selected for TEAMKPN Sportfonds support by a committee of people who have their roots in sports, like athletes and marketeers.

The men's national teams in Dutch basketball and waterpolo were chosen as the recipients of the TeamKPN Sportfonds.

Each will receive up to €200,000 but for just one year.

The aim is for other companies to join in and support the teams, too, and make the impact of the fund larger.

There was already a separate and vitally important foundation, called the Stichting Nederlands Mannen Team, that had been set up.

Stichting NMT, which works closely with the Netherlands National Basketball Federation (NBB) and the FEB, the top Dutch professional league, has a five-year contract to run the men's national team.

The president of the Stichting NMT foundation is Bert Kragtwijk, a former Netherlands player who featured in 99 official games for the national side.

Five out of the seven members of the 'Stichting NMT' board have played for the Dutch national team. The other two have made contributions to the game.

Prominent names in Dutch basketball from the past like Rik Smits and Geerit Hammink have been involved with Stichting NMT.

Support from Stichting NMT and TeamKPN Sportsfonds is making a huge, positive difference.

The Netherlands team will not have a typical warm-up period for EuroBasket 2015.

The players will be more visible in the community.

Starting on 4 July in Woudrichem, national team players will travel all over to promote the sport on the Streetball Masters Tour and at training camps for kids.

On the court, the support makes national team coach Toon van Helfteren's job easier.

"Last year, we qualified for the European Championship but it took us 25 years to get there," Van Helfteren said.

"So, we have come a long way. We have qualified for EuroBasket 2015 with a very, very limited budget.

"So all the money that comes in - especially TEAMKPN Sportfonds - is more than welcome."

We're handed more of an opportunity now than in the past. Hopefully that will lead to better results. -Van Helfteren

Van Helfteren is seeing the positive impact of the financial backing.

"I have put my wishes on the table as far as running the program and preparing for EuroBasket," he said.

"Everything I wanted has been made possible. So we're talking serious money."

The Netherlands are hosting their own tournament in the build-up to the EuroBasket.

A three-nation event will be staged at Vijf Meihal in Leiden 14-16 August and will see the Netherlands play Great Britain and Portugal.

"In the past," the coach said, "we have played [warm-up games] abroad, because it was a cheaper solution.

"Most of our costs were covered by the hosting countries. With this new sponsoring deal, we will have the opportunity to play in our own country and host our own tournament."

Players are going to find things much more to their liking this summer.

The coach said: "In the past, everything had to be 'low budget.'

"On road trips, we can now pay for decent meals for the players. At airports for instance, we were used to paying our meals and drinks ourselves."

At the EuroBasket, the Netherlands will play in an extremely difficult Group C with Greece, Slovenia, hosts Croatia, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (MKD) and Georgia.

There is a different mindset in the organizations running basketball in the Netherlands. - Van Helfteren

"There is no guarantee for better results at EuroBasket," Van Helfteren warned.

"Looking back at last year, it was actually unbelievable we have qualified, knowing under which circumstances we had to qualify.

"We had hardly any money and we didn't have all the players we wanted to have on our team.

"The 'no money-issue' made it easier to say ‘no thanks’ to the national team.

"For the past two years, that has been a major issue.

"This year, there hasn’t been a single time that a player has said 'no' to me. Everybody wants to come on board."

Van Helfteren, a former Netherlands great himself, says the changes in Dutch basketball are encouraging.

"The federation, the club teams and the former international players are working together.

"The federation has also donated an amount of money for the national team.

"Last year's success has opened some eyes."

What is happening in the Netherlands is unique, and positive. The approach can serve a beacon of hope for team sports in other countries that need a helping hand.

Go to eurobasket2015.org for full coverage of EuroBasket 2015.

FIBA