For years it was the epicenter for all Brabant top gymnasts: De Maaspoort in Den Bosch. But that comes to an end. NOC*NSF is stopping the top sports and training program at the Den Bosch location. A downer for the talents and top players who train here: from now on they have to go to Rotterdam, Hoofddorp or – even further – Heerenveen.
One of those top players who has been working up a sweat in De Maaspoort for years is Jermain Grünberg (24). Last summer his dream came true when he was allowed to participate in the Olympic Games in Paris. From an early age he has trained in the gymnastics hall, which he considers a second home. “But in six months I would no longer be able to continue here. That would be very annoying. It will change our lives,” he says DTV News.
Grünberg is not satisfied with the way the decision was reached. “It was just thrown at us and we just have to see what we do with it. They have come up with a lot of problems, but few solutions.”
Remco Boer, director of the KNGU gymnastics association, says that the association was also informed late of the final decision to close the hall in Den Bosch. “Geographically speaking, it seems like an illogical choice,” he admits. But why close Den Bosch? According to the NOC*NSF, this has to do with the performance of this location in recent years in terms of sports. In addition, there are still financial obligations at other locations in the Netherlands that the organization cannot simply avoid.
Concerns about talents
In recent years, the gymnastics hall in Den Bosch has attracted gymnasts from all over the southeast of the Netherlands. In addition to the guidance for top athletes, there is also a program for young talents. From an early age, they have been traveling to Den Bosch for the right help to reach the top. The departure of top athletes from the gymnastics hall also causes them a lot of uncertainty about the future.
For example, 12-year-old Stijn van Gaalen travels up and down from South Limburg almost every day. He goes to Rodenborch College in Rosmalen to combine his sport and school. “It really is a decision that fell upon us like a bolt from the blue,” says his father Johan. 11-year-old Hylke de Rouw is still in primary school, but is already training with the talents in Den Bosch three times a week, in the hope of being admitted to the talent program next year. Mother Iris is very concerned: “The distances to the remaining locations are unfeasible, especially in combination with school and 20 to 24 hours of training per week.”
‘Unpleasantly surprised’
The municipality of Den Bosch also says it is ‘unpleasantly surprised’ by the closure of the top sports center. “It also differs from the messages we had received until then about the future of the top sports program. The gymnastics association had previously indicated that it wanted to hold it in Den Bosch. They even wanted to expand it,” says councilor Marianne van der Sloot (CDA). But NOC*NSF does not agree with that wish from the KNGU.
There is still a glimmer of hope for young gymnasts like Stijn and Hylke. The KNGU is making another attempt to maintain talent development in the region. “The support from NOC*NSF has largely disappeared, but together with the clubs we want to look for possibilities for a follow-up. However, according to mother De Rouw, there is a need for haste. “Hylke has to make a choice of school in February. In fact, he doesn’t know which choice is best to make, because we don’t know whether he can train in this region.”
There is also criticism from BrabantSport, an initiative of the province of North Brabant. “We regret the decision and would have liked to think about solutions or alternatives. We would like to discuss with the relevant parties how we can preserve this location for future Brabant gymnastics talent,” says sporting director Nienke Nijenhuis. NOC*NSF emphasizes that there will be a phase-out arrangement for the top athletes in the program, so that they can, for example, finish the school year or be relocated.