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Monday July 1, 4:00 PM
67 (former) top athletes and top coaches express their concerns about the plans of the future cabinet in a full-page open letter in the AD. If the measures from the main points agreement are implemented, the sport will lose around 45 million euros annually. The signatories of the letter come from the entire spectrum of sports, from short track to football. Well-known names include: Tom Dumoulin, Annemiek van Vleuten, Sven Kramer, Suzanne Schulting, Diede de Groot, Guus Hiddink, Sarina Wiegman and many others.
(Door NOC*NSF)
Sports for all children and maintaining top 10 position
The letter writers mention the unique association and club structure that we know in the Netherlands; the breeding ground for top talents. They want sports to remain accessible to all children. The impact of the cutbacks on top-level sports is also great, according to the (former) top athletes and coaches: “Our medals cost blood, sweat and tears, but are relatively ‘cheap’.” According to the letter, this is due to a combination of association structure and top-level sports programs in various places in our country: “A system that the whole world is jealous of. We must retain that. With that we really put the Netherlands first.”
Main points agreement: at least 45 million per year less
The amount of 45 million that sports will certainly have to hand over if the plans from the main agreement go ahead, is based on a calculation by NOC*NSF and KNVB. The most important components of the sum are a 20 percent decrease in the Dutch lottery contribution for sports (last year more than 50 million euros) due to an increase in the gambling tax, a 10 percent discount on sports subsidies that are paid out via municipalities and an annual loss of 3.5 million euros for (youth) football based on existing VAT agreements with the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport. This agreement will lapse if the VAT rate increases from 9 to 21 percent.
2024-07-01 14:01:10
#Major #concerns #cuts #sports
