The long wait will finally be over: For the first time in 22 years, the Netherlands will host the European Senior Championships in 2027. Following the official flag handover ceremony in Tbilisi, the Dutch can look back at a rich judo history and look forward to create more in Apeldoorn.
The promotion campaign under the motto “Judo for the Future” will kick off in June and has a two-sided approach.
“It is really meant to be for the kids in school,” Micha van Herk from the Organising Committee said. “That is the first connection with our sport. It’s a digital platform based on the values of our sport.”
The first phase is digital to introduce the sport and its value to the students. In the next phase, they get the chance to experience judo in their sports classes at school. The next step is creating a hub in the province of Gelderland, where Apeldoorn is located, and holding master classes with Mark Huizinga, a three-time Olympic medalist and the tournament director. Finally, in phase four, the kids can attend the championships live.
The second approach is directed at the opposite end of the age spectrum of the population, at people over 60 and 70.
“There is an interesting statistic,” Dimitri Bonthuis from the Organising Committee pointed out. “If you look in the Netherlands, every four minutes a person above 60 ends up in the medical care unit of a hospital because of falling down. It’s quite an issue.
“For the group 60 plus, we have a program called ‘Moving with Certainty’, from which we take the judo principles to the elderly to teach them basically how to prevent breaking a hip, if you fall,” Bonthuis continued.
The Dutch campaign is multifaceted and creative. They created a video that connects the “Dutch Masters” of the past, such as painters like Rembrandt, with the Dutch judo masters of the present, portrayed in Renaissance-style paintings.
The event is already advertised; spectators can pre-register for tickets and benefit from special prices as members of judo clubs. The organisers are aiming for a sold-out championship at the Ominsport in Apeldoorn on all four competition days. “We want to create a typical orange party,” Bonthuis said. “For example, we had the Handball World Championships last year. What you see there is people dressing up in orange, really supporting the home team, and in this case, the home athletes. We are looking to get the general population into the venue.”
Explaining the sport of judo to people outside the community and creating a real fan experience is part of that strategy as well. For that, the organisers are looking beyond judo.
“We bring in experience from tennis, from Formula One, from Sail Amsterdam and from festivals,” Bonthuis explained. “There’s a lot of knowledge from all different types of events brought into the championships. Maybe we can put in some new things again to enhance the overall experience,” he concluded.
The Dutch judoka are very excited about hosting the European Championship at home.
“It means a lot to me,” newly minted European champion, Joanne van Lieshout said. “A few years ago the Netherlands organised the Junior European Championships as well and to be honest I was very jealous to all the Dutch juniors. The atmosphere was amazing. Playing in front of the home crowd and for so many people you know is going to be amazing.”
Mark your calendars: the 2027 Senior European Championships will take place from 15–18 April at the Omnisport Centrum in Apeldoorn, Netherlands.
Author: Tatjana Flade