(Story by Marco Stoovelaar; Photos: Henk Seppen & CEB)
 Hoofddorp to host European Championship next year
Nederlands
 HOOFDDORP (Neth.) -
Hoofddorp will be the site of the 34th European Baseball Championship, which will be held next year at the beautiful complex of Dutch big league-club Vaessen Pioniers.
The European Baseball Confederation (CEB) and the Royal Netherlands Baseball and Softball Association (KNBSB) made the announcement on Thursday-afternoon (September 17) during a press conference at the baseball stadium in Hoofddorp.
The event will take place September 9 thru 18 at the site in Hoofddorp, which opened in April 2014.
At the complex at Park21, there are two international level baseball fields, three softball fields, several youth fields and practice areas.
The 2016 European Championship will be organized by the KNBSB, the City of Haarlemmermeer and local club Hoofddorp Pioniers.
On behalf of the CEB, President Jan Esselman attended the meeting and signed the agreement.
...CEB-President Jan Esselman (center) signs the agreement...
...that the 2016 European Championship will be hosted...
...by the KNBSB and the city of Haarlemmermeer...
...Sitting at left is KNBSB-director Hans Meijer...
(© Photo: European Baseball Confederation (CEB) |
The first European Baseball Championship was organized in Antwerp (Belgium) in 1954.
There, Italy won the first European title.
Last year, the Netherlands re-captured the title in Brno (Czech Republic).
It was the (record) 21st title for the Orange squad which had been left empty-handed in the previous two editions in 2010 and 2012 when it lost the final to Italy, which is in second place with 10 Gold Medals.
Besides the Netherlands and Italy, the other participating countries in 2016 will be Belgium, Czech Republic, Croatia, France, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, Russia, Spain and Sweden.
The CEB also announced that the next joint Congress of the European Baseball Confederation and European Softball Federation will be held on February 12-13 next year in Hoofddorp.
During the meeting on Thursday-afternoon, Hans Meijer, director of the KNBSB, stated: ,,It is wonderful to be able to held the event again in your own country.
The European Championship is a great stage to promote baseball in the Netherlands and the stadium in Hoofddorp is a beautiful spot to play.
Together with the municipality of Haarlemmermeer and the foundation ETO, which owns the stadium, we will organize a fantastic tournament.''
,,There are several nice baseball-stadiums in the Netherlands, but this new fantastic stadium in Hoofddorp surely is the place where big baseball-events, such as the European Championship, can be held', Meijer continued.
,,With two baseball-fields, Hoofddorp offers the possibility to organize the tournament for the first time at one accomodation.''
On behalf of the municipality of Haarlemmermeer, Adam Elzakalai, alderman for sports, said: ,,I'm extremely proud that the KNBSB had chosen for Hoofddorp to organize the European Baseball Championship in 2016.
The beautiful baseball-complex of Hoofddorp Pioniers is ideal for hosting international games.
The event offers the club and Haarlemmermeer possibilities and opportunities, like side events, city marketing and inhabitants get acquainted with the sport of baseball.
We're looking forward to the games.
And of course, we hope that the Netherlands will win!''
Hoofddorp becomes the 46th city to host games of an European Baseball Championship and the sixth Dutch city that will host the event.
Haarlem has been the site of seven European Championships, which is a record.
It will mark the tenth time that the European Championship will be organized in The Netherlands, which also is a record.
In the past 34 years, the games of the tournament were spread over several locations.
Last year, the preliminary rounds took place in two countries, Germany and the Czech Republic.
The final round was then held in the Czech Republic.
Next year, all games of the event will be played at the same site.
The last time that all games were played in the same city was in 1981 when Haarlem (Netherlands) hosted the European Championship.
...The beautful baseball-stadium in Hoofddorp...
(© Photo: Henk Seppen) |
| European Baseball Championships hosted in the Netherlands |
| Year | Location(s) | Champion | 2nd Place | 3rd Place |
| 1958 | Amsterdam | Netherlands | Italy | West-Germany |
| 1962 | Amsterdam | Netherlands | Italy | Spain |
| 1973 | Haarlem | Netherlands | Italy | Spain |
| 1977 | Haarlem | Italy | Netherlands | Belgium |
| 1981 | Haarlem | Netherlands | Italy | Sweden |
| 1985 | Haarlem, Eindhoven | Netherlands | Italy | Belgium |
| 1995 | Haarlem, Heemstede | Netherlands | Italy | Belgium |
| 2003 | Haarlem, Amsterdam, Rotterdam | Netherlands | Greece | Spain |
| 2012 | Rotterdam, Haarlem, Utrecht | Italy | Netherlands | Spain |
| 2016 | Hoofddorp | ????? | ????? | ????? |
| Most European Baseball Championships Hosts |
| Countries | | Cities |
| Host | Country | | Host | City | Country |
| 10 | The Netherlands | | 7 | Haarlem | Netherlands |
| 7 | Italy | | 5 | Barcelona | Spain |
| 6 | Spain | | 3 | Amsterdam | Netherlands |
| 5 | (West) Germany | | 2 | Antwerp | Belgium |
| 2 | Belgium | | 2 | Blansko | Czech Rep. |
| 2 | Czech Republic | | 2 | Bologna | Italy |
| 2 | France | | 2 | Parma | Italy |
| 1 | Sweden | | 2 | Paris | France |
 | 2 | Rome | Italy |
| 2 | Rotterdam | Netherlands |
| 2 | San Boi de Llobregat | Spain |
| 2 | Sarcelles | France |
| 1 | 34 cities | |
(September 17)
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