The sport is still in its infancy in the Netherlands, but the road to the Olympic Games is completely open for Wim, Huub and Daan Schuurman. The three brothers from Purmerend play flag football and have their sights set on 2028. Then the sport will be Olympic for the first time and they hope to represent the Dutch team in Los Angeles. “To go to the Olympic Games with my brothers, that is the goal,” says Wim.
Early on Sunday, the three brothers traveled to Leiden to train with a selection of the Dutch team. Three years ago, Huub (21) started with the sport and made his brothers Wim (19) and Daan (23) enthusiastic. Only 2,000 people practice the sport of flag football in the Netherlands. It came as a surprise to Huub that his sport will soon be an Olympic sport.
Extremely popular
In America, flag football is a popular sport in high schools. Because physical contact is not allowed, it is the first introduction to American Football for young children. The ball is exactly the same, but instead of tackling someone, the flag, a kind of ribbon, are caught. Then the attack continues from that spot. Teams have four attempts to score in the end zone.
From 2028, five sports will be added to the Olympic Games. Baseball and softball are returning after eight years. Lacrosse (1908) and cricket (1900) were part of the program more than a hundred years ago and for flag football it will be the first time. Last year, the Netherlands finished ninth at the European Championships, so the brothers hope to be there in Los Angeles.
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