News
Profile of the VA: impact on combat sports and municipalities
The website Allesoversport.nl published an extensive profile of the VA (Nederlandse Vechtsportautoriteit, the Dutch Combat Sports Authority). All aspects of the organisation's work are covered: from the supervision of events to the introduction of the quality mark (Keurmerk) for combat sports gyms.
For twenty years now, the number of people in the Netherlands practising a combat sport has been rising. Among young people, kickboxing is even in the top 10 of most popular sports. Yet around 2010 the sport found itself in an outright crisis. A regulator was needed to put things in order. Since the establishment of the Nederlandse Vechtsportautoriteit the tide has turned and combat sports are claiming a prominent place in the Dutch sports landscape. How did they go about it?
Ten years ago, kickboxing galas got out of hand so often that municipalities wanted to ban them altogether. When combat sports athletes appeared in the media, it was often only by their initials. It was considered normal for children to kick other children full in the head during matches. Trainers could teach in a municipal gym while carrying a conviction and wearing an electronic ankle monitor. Notorious criminals entertained one another at VIP tables at combat sports events. Motorcycle gangs were often present in an intimidating manner. Some thirteen competing sports federations resulted in a completely fragmented policy, for example on the rules of the game.
Out of this crisis the Nederlandse Vechtsportautoriteit was born, the regulator for kickboxing, Thai boxing and mixed martial arts (MMA) in the Netherlands.