News
Certification withdrawn after failure to meet requirements
Update: In 2025 the Dutch Martial Arts Federation (Nederlandse Vechtsportbond, NVB) took over the issuing and renewal of the Keurmerk Vechtsportautoriteit (the martial arts certification mark of the Dutch Martial Arts Authority) from the Nederlandse Vechtsportautoriteit. For current information and answers to all questions we therefore refer you to the NVB. The VA continues to carry out the audits at martial arts gyms. Questions about this can be sent to info@vechtsportautoriteit.nl
The VA has withdrawn the Keurmerk Vechtsportautoriteit from a gym that provided the VA with incorrect information about deploying an unauthorised trainer. As a result, the gym cannot take part in competitions for three months.
One of the requirements of the certification is that trainers who work with children hold a certificate of good conduct (Verklaring Omtrent het Gedrag, VOG). This is of course done to safeguard the safety of children.
One of the gyms holding the certification was unable to produce a VOG for its youth trainer. The application was said to have been delayed. The gym gave an assurance that the trainer would not train youth until this had been arranged. The VA, however, received information that the trainer who could not produce a VOG was nevertheless teaching children. The gym therefore breached the agreements that had been made.
Because of the breach of the agreement and the provision of incorrect information to the VA, the certification has been withdrawn for a period of three months. Among other things, this means that this gym cannot take part in competitions during this period.
The VA has withdrawn the certification from gyms that fail to comply with the standards set by the martial arts sector on several previous occasions. Withdrawing a certification is never an objective in itself, but it is an instrument the VA must use to uphold the quality of the certification. The VA regrets it when athletes are disadvantaged as a result, but responsibility for this lies with the gyms concerned.