Senior official from the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport takes a closer look at combat sports

The Director of Sport at the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport (ministerie van VWS) yesterday paid a working visit to a combat sports school in The Hague, together with the Vechtsportautoriteit (Dutch Combat Sports Authority) and The Hague's Director of Sport.

As the most senior civil servant in this field, Nicole Huppertz is responsible for implementing sports policy in the Netherlands. She wanted to be brought up to date on the state of affairs in combat sports. The Vechtsportautoriteit took her and Peter van Veen, Director of Sport for the city of The Hague, to ARJ Trainingen in the city.

Host Mike Polanen gave the delegation a warm welcome and explained how his combat sports school operates. Polanen trains major names in international kickboxing, such as Tarek Khabez and Michael Boapeah. Equally important, however, is his work with recreational athletes and young beginners. By having these groups train in the same gym, he builds a bridge between the youngest athletes and the world's elite. This shows children from all backgrounds that dreams in combat sports are within reach, and what it takes to achieve them.

VA board members Herbert Dekkers and Saskia van Rijswijk updated the guests on the state of affairs in the combat sports sector with regard to events and combat sports schools. Both have fallen under the supervision of the VA since 2017. Important steps have been taken, at events as well as at the schools, to raise quality and minimise the risk of misconduct. The number of participants continues to grow. Hundreds of thousands of people work on their health every week during training sessions, which means combat sports make a positive contribution to society. The number of events is also growing steadily, underlining that the popularity of combat sports continues to increase.

Peter van Veen, Director of Sport for the municipality of The Hague, explained how the city has invested in the quality of the combat sports on offer in recent years. Close cooperation with event organisers and gym owners has given combat sports a boost. The Haagse Vechtsportdag (The Hague Combat Sports Day) is a good example of the positive way in which the combat sports sector distinguishes itself in this city, with the support of the municipality.