Throwing bags filled with corn. That will happen this weekend in the Burcht In Boekel sports hall. Eleven countries from all over Europe compete there for the title of European Champion (EC) Cornhole. One of the organizers is Nard Manders, who is busy with the final preparations on Friday afternoon. “It started as a joke, but now we are here at the European Championships.”
Nice music in the sports hall on Bernhardstraat ensures that the final preparations go very quickly. On it Center Courtwhere the top matches will be played this weekend, Pierre Jentjens is still laying the last pieces of the floor. “I even took time off for it.”
“I do that because I have a heart for the sport and the association,” he says proudly. The hobby that got out of hand started about three years ago when he received a cornhole game as a gift from his son-in-law. “He works on a care farm where they make those games with young people with a backpack.”
They regularly play cornhole with the family. “You know how it is, a bottle of beer. At one point he showed me videos of cornhole in America, where it is a professional sport. Players can even make a living from it there.”
Shortly afterwards, Pierre’s son-in-law indicated that he wanted to set up his own association. “Believing that it would never happen, I stupidly said that I would become his first member if that worked out.”
A month later the time had already come: ‘de Lochte Maïskolf’ from Odiliapeel became an official association. “It started as a joke and has now gotten a bit out of hand,” laughs Nard Manders, son-in-law and founder of the cornhole association.
“It turned out well,” he adds. The club trains twice a month in the hall of a local pub. Although the ambition did not stop at founding the association. “I really wanted to bring the European Championships to the Netherlands. Together with a number of others, we succeeded and that is great.”
Now the organization is at the start of the tournament. From Latvia to Norway and from France to Slovakia. Players from eleven countries in Europe will compete for the title this weekend in Boekel. “To be honest, many participants had no idea where it was. After this weekend they will certainly not forget it,” says Theo Stikkers of the Dutch Cornhole Association.
Although the location of the tournament was not chosen entirely at random. “The first two associations in our country come from here. The first is from Deurne, the other is of course Odiliapeel. They support us very much with the entire organization, because it requires a lot of preparation.”
The sport is experiencing significant growth in the Netherlands. Associations have now been established throughout the country. Team NL consists of members of these different clubs, including Pierre Jentjens. “We finished fifth at the World Championships in Porec in Croatia last September. It was really an honor to go there.”
“Who can say that you can compete against the professionals,” says the 58-year-old international proud, while the sports hall fills up with international players later in the day. According to Pierre, the combination of sporty and fun is the key to the success of the sport. “The atmosphere is always good and afterwards you drink a beer together.”
In addition to the European Championship, there will also be the Boekelse Championship during the weekend (21 to 23 November). It is no longer possible to register for this, but you can take a look. You can read more information here this website.
