Hundredth Keurmerk awarded to Challenger Gym in Urk

Challenger Gym in Urk is the hundredth martial arts gym to be awarded the Keurmerk Vechtsportautoriteit (quality mark of the Nederlandse Vechtsportautoriteit, the Dutch Martial Arts Authority). To mark this milestone, VA chair Herbert Dekkers and VA director Farid Gamei congratulated owner Jelle van den Berg in person.

The Keurmerk Vechtsportautoriteit was introduced this spring. Since then, more than 100 martial arts gyms have applied for it, and Challenger Gym is the hundredth location entitled to display the Keurmerk shield beside its door and on its website.

For more than 25 years, sports enthusiasts from Urk and the surrounding area have been able to train at Challenger Gym. They come to develop their kickboxing and Thai boxing skills and to build and maintain their fitness. Both recreational participants of all ages and ambitious competitive fighters are welcome.

A small VA delegation came to congratulate owner Jelle van den Berg and his trainers in person. Chair of the board Herbert Dekkers: “With the Keurmerk on its facade, Challenger Gym shows that its affairs are in order when it comes to its premises, equipment and coaching staff, that the health of athletes comes first, and that there is an open culture in which undesirable behaviour is actively addressed. It is good for the athletes, their parents and the municipality to know this. It is also good to see how proud the gym is of this recognition.”

This was followed by a discussion about day-to-day operations at the gym and about the latest developments in the martial arts sector. VA director Farid Gamei: “Jelle told us how he experienced the coronavirus period as a sports entrepreneur. These conversations are of course very valuable to us. That is why we visit gyms often and gladly.”

For martial arts gyms that take part in kickboxing, Thai boxing or MMA competitions, the Keurmerk will become mandatory from mid-2022. The Keurmerk Vechtsportautoriteit can be applied for here.