(Story by Marco Stoovelaar; Photos by Henk Seppen)
 Curaçao Neptunus wins Team of the Year Award in Rotterdam
Nederlands
...Curaçao Neptunus celebrates winning...
...the Championship-title in 2024...
(© Photo: Henk Seppen) |
 ROTTERDAM (Neth.) -
The baseball-team of reigning champion Curaçao Neptunus again has won the Award for Sports Team of the Year during the presentation of the Sport Awards Rotterdam 2024.
The 38th edition of the annual event was held on Friday-evening (January 31) in Theater Zuidplein.
The nominees were announced on December 17.
Awards were handed out in several categories: Female Athlete, Male Athlete, Coach, Talent, Team, Volunteer, Sport-provider and More than Sport.
Amongst the persons who handed out the awards were Rotterdam Alderman Faouzi Achbar, former tennis-player and current ABN*AMRO Open tournament-director Richard Krajicek and gymnast Eythora Thorsdottir.
The Sport Awards in Rotterdam is a cooperation between the Municipality of Rotterdam, Rotterdam Sportsupport, Rotterdam Topsport and Sportbedrijf Rotterdam.
The Sport Awards for best sport-achievements by athletes and teams from the Rotterdam-region were first handed out in 1987.
Through 2020, the name of the event was Sport Awards Rotterdam-Rijnmond, since 2021, the name is Sport Awards Rotterdam.
In October, Neptunus captured its record-extending 20th Dutch Championship-title by sweeping HCAW in the best-of-seven Holland Series.
For Neptunus, this was the club's first title since 2018.
From 2019 on, the Rotterdam-club reached the Holland Series annually, but was left empty-handed each time.
In three of these Finals, Neptunus was defeated by Amsterdam Pirates, which won the title in 2019, 2021 and 2022, all in seven games.
In 2020, Pirates led 2-0 when the Series was halted due to regulations during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
In 2022, HCAW swept Neptunus in four games.
Also nominated for the Sport Team of the Year Award were Feyenoord (soccer) and Kanosprint - K2 women (Ruth Vorsselman/Selma Konijn) (canoeing).
...Neptunus Head Coach Greg Muller...
...with the Championship Trophy,...
...handed out by KNBSB-Chairman...
...Gregor Rossen...
(© Photo: Henk Seppen) |
Neptunus Head Coach Greg Mulller was one of the three nominees for the Coach of the Year Award, alongside Arienne Naber (swimming) and Jacqueline Goormachtigh (discus throw).
The winner was Arienne Naber.
For Neptunus, this was the ninth time (and first since 2018) that it won the Award for Team of the Year in Rotterdam.
Neptunus won the Award for the first time in 1991.
In the past, two Neptunus-coaches have won the Coach of the Year Award four times, Robert Eenhoorn in 2005 and 2007 and Evert-Jan 't Hoen in 2013 and 2014.
(January 31)
| Other winners |
| Award | Winner | Sport |
| Female Athlete | Annette Duetz | sailing |
| Male Athlete | Isaya Klein Ikkink | 4x400 m relay |
| Talent | Jarno van Daalen | shot put/discus throw |
| Volunteer | Robi van Leersum
Janneke Berkhof | Rotterdam Atletiek |
| Sport-provider | Kickboxing010 | kickboxing |
| More than Sport | Stichting Roeivalidatie | rowing |
|
