by Pim van Nes

Last night Ruud van Zetten, president of Netherlands baseball and softball federation KNBSB, was surprised when attending the annual general assemble of NOC*NSF, the national Olympic committee. For the first time ever KNBSB was awarded as the most successful sport federation in the country.

Van Zetten was handed the Van Tuyll Cup by Erica Terpstra, president of NOC*NSF. The former top swimmer in the 60s and 70s and former Minister of Culture and Sport in the 90s precised in her speech to press and all federation presidents, that KNBSB has managed to gain Olympic qualification for two national teams for baseball and softball in an 8 teams tournament, European champion title for baseball, European finale position for softball and second consecutive fourth ranking in World Cup baseball. It is the first time ever that a small sport federation was recognized for top results in multiple aspects of its organization.

The Van Tuyll Cup was installed in 1922 and named after the first Netherlands personal member of the International Olympic Committee Baron Van Tuyll van Serooskerken, founder and first president of the Netherlands national Olympic committee.

Pim van Nes
Baseball writer for
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