No accurate fight record? It could cost you your Keurmerk!

It is essential that gyms report the correct fight record for their fighters. This keeps the data in the Fightpassport complete and prevents accidents caused by mismatches. Gyms that fail to do so can lose their Keurmerk Vechtsportautoriteit (quality mark of the Dutch Martial Arts Authority), as one gym owner found out this month.

In order to create balanced bouts, it is important that the Fightpassport gives an accurate picture of a person's experience. Particularly with children, we consider it important that they are not matched against someone with far more experience. That can lead to accidents.

Bouts abroad
If fighters (regardless of age!) compete abroad and therefore gain experience, the gym must report this via info@vechtsportautoriteit.nl so that the Fightpassport can be updated. Do you currently have a backlog in reporting? Clear it quickly and email the correct data to the VA (Vechtsportautoriteit, the Dutch Martial Arts Authority). Appropriate measures will be taken against gyms that structurally and deliberately fail to do so.

Check the record!
Gyms are responsible for ensuring that the correct record of their fighters is reported for matchmaking. Always check whether the record has been entered correctly and discuss it with your fighter. If you fail to do this, an inexperienced fighter may be matched against an experienced fighter and run an irresponsible risk.

Withdrawal of the Keurmerk
This month the VA withdrew the Keurmerk Vechtsportautoriteit from a gym that allowed this to happen and attempted to shift the responsibility for it. As a result, this gym is for the time being no longer able to take part in bouts in the Netherlands.