King’s Games and JOGG join forces for a healthy youth

Since 2016, King’s Games has been bringing sports providers, municipalities and schools together through the ‘Koningsmatch Platform’, with the aim of jointly organising the sporting component of King’s Games at a local level. In the coming editions, the organisation of King’s Games, together with JOGG, will focus even more on establishing these valuable local connections. On the one hand, because schools can use the support; on the other, to ensure that local organisations know how to find one another not only during King’s Games, but afterwards as well.

JOGG—with its network of more than 190 participating municipalities, including Bonaire, Saba and Sint Eustatius—will inspire local sports providers and schools to establish connections. On average, 1.2 million children from 6,000 primary schools in the Netherlands, the Caribbean part of the Kingdom and Dutch schools abroad participate in King’s Games.

The Cruyff Foundation and the Krajicek Foundation are the ‘founding fathers’ of King’s Games. King’s Games has since grown into an annual tradition that makes a lasting contribution to an active and connected society. In 2022, the tenth edition of King’s Games will take place on Friday, 22 April.

Krajicek and Eysvogel enthusiastic

Former top athletes Richard Krajicek, initiator of King’s Games, and Marjolein Bolhuis-Eijsvogel, former international hockey player, management team member and Manager of Healthy Environments and Public-Private Partnerships at JOGG, are enthusiastic about the collaboration.

Krajicek: “With King’s Games, we want to contribute to a healthier, more active society. Together with JOGG, we can establish even more so-called Koningsmatches and encourage children in primary education to be active more consistently. Enabling children to enjoy being active is the guiding principle. After all, those who enjoy sports and physical activity from a young age often develop an active lifestyle later in life.”

Eysvogel: “Getting children to be more active with enjoyment, and encouraging healthy nutrition by making it the natural choice at school, at the club or during sports. This fits well with JOGG’s efforts and ambitions for a healthy school environment and our offering in the sports environment or neighbourhood.”

Photo: Bibi Veth.