Annual Report 2023: a major step forward

In 2023 something happened that had been years in the making: the Nederlandse Vechtsportbond (Dutch Martial Arts Federation) was launched. The VA is proud to have made a substantial contribution behind the scenes. A new era has begun, in which joining forces is central.

The VA is and remains first and foremost a supervisory organisation. Of the 221 martial arts events that took place in the Netherlands last year, dozens were once again visited by the VA's auditors. Together with promoters, municipalities, officials and other parties involved, they worked on enforcing all agreements and on continuing to improve quality.

Dozens of martial arts gyms also received a visit from the audit team. The proud owners generally gave the VA delegations a warm welcome and were pleased to show what they had built up. Two years after its introduction, the Keurmerk Vechtsportautoriteit (the VA quality mark) has become firmly established, partly thanks to the way gym operators have embraced the label.

Alongside its supervisory work, 2023 was also marked by the development towards a single federation. Jan Willem Landré was appointed by NOC*NSF (the Dutch Olympic Committee and Dutch Sports Federation) as project leader for a new martial arts federation that was to bring together all existing forces. Thanks to a constructive attitude on the part of the covenant partners and many others involved, and with support from the VA, this project culminated in the presentation of the Nederlandse Vechtsportbond (NVB). Through an open application procedure, a board was formed with a mix of competencies: experience in the martial arts sector, together with knowledge and skills in governance, legal and financial matters. This made 2023 the year in which a major step forward was taken. You can read all about it in the VA Annual Report 2023.