Our athletes perform well at the highest international level. For example, the Netherlands ranked 12th on the medals table of the 2008 Beijing Olympics, having won 7 gold medals, 5 silvers and 4 bronzes. At the 2008 Beijing Paralympic Games, the Dutch took 19th place with 5 golds, 10 silvers and 7 bronzes.

Sport inspires people and connects them. Sport can help create a better society. It is about good health, dynamism, excellence, cooperation, friendship and respect, as articulated in the Olympic values. For Dutch sport, the Sport Agenda is the guiding document for how sport can turn the Netherlands into a true sporting nation.

2013-2016 Sport Agenda

The 2013-2016 Sport Agenda is the fourth national strategic sport policy plan and is – as is inherent to the nature of sport – full of ambitions: raising the level of public sport participation to 75 per cent and taking the country into the top ten of the world’s strongest sporting nations. We are aiming very high, so we need to make choices and carefully target our resources. The Sport Agenda 2016 has been put together by representatives from the sport federations, NOC*NSF and other parties closely involved in sport, namely the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport; the Netherlands Institute for Sport and Physical Activity; the Athletes’ Commission, Sportsupport Rotterdam and various scientists.

Ambitions and strategies

The Sport Agenda 2016 covers various mutually supportive ambitions, which require very different strategies, though. Elite sport benefits from firm top-down management. However, in promoting participation among the general public, it is key to encourage local initiatives. Strong sport federations, which are the undisputed authority in their own sport, are essential for having a diverse sporting landscape. They manage the long-term development of their sports. Both the sport federations and NOC*NSF are expected to invest in their own organisational development and effectiveness. The Sport Agenda also formulates the main conditions for success. These are organisational development, sport marketing, as well as efficient and effective allocation of collective financial resources.

For more information, please download the summary of the Sport Agenda 2016, or watch the summary in a brief film clip.