The Netherlands once again plays the dormitory ball

Xinhua News Agency, Chengdu, August 12 (Reporters Li Qianwei and Tong Fang) On the 12th, the final of the 2025 Chengdu World Games Dutch Football Project Mixed Team Competition was held at the Longquan Middle School Stadium in Chengdu. The Dutch team, Belgium team, and Chinese Taipei team won gold, silver and bronze medals respectively.

The Netherlands and Belgium are traditional strong teams in the sport, ranking first and second in the world. In the final, the Netherlands defeated Belgium 23:16, which is also the 11th time that the Netherlands won the Dutch championship in the World Games. On August 12, the champion Dutch team was awarded at the award ceremony. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Li Bo

Dutch coach Ald Kolporal said: "I am very happy to win the gold medal again today, and we are also happy to see other teams improving." The bronze medal competition is also very fierce. Under the condition of falling behind in the first half, the Chinese Taipei team overtook the second half and finally defeated the Czech team 19:15 to win the bronze medal. The Chinese Taipei team is the bronze medalist of the last World Games and the runner-up of the 2023 World Championships, and is currently ranked third in the world.

"We performed very stably today and are very happy to win the bronze medal." This is Lin Yawen, a member of the Chinese Taipei team, who has participated in the World Games for the fourth time. She told reporters, "I started participating in the World Games at the age of 18. I am also a veteran. I hope I can be a reassurance for my teammates." Wu Peiyun, a member of the Chinese Taipei team who participated in the World Games for the first time, said: "I think I performed well today. This time I participated in the World Games. This time, I am also a very unforgettable experience for me." On August 12, the Chinese Taipei team players greeted the audience after the game. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Jiang Kehong

The Dutch ball sport originated in the Netherlands in 1902. It is a mixed ball sport for men and women. The two sides of the game consist of 4 men and 4 women, each with 8 players. The venue is divided into two and a half zones, each with a 3.5-meter-high basket. The ball can be scored by hitting the opponent's basket. The sports philosophy of the Lotus ball is gender equality, teamwork and not emphasizing excessive physical confrontation.

Dutch football entered the World Games in 1985 and is currently being carried out in about 70 countries and regions around the world. The sport was introduced to China in 2004. In this World Games, the Chinese team won the eighth place.

President of the International Dutch Football Federation Gabi Kuhl said that he hopes to let more people understand Dutch Football through the World Games, and he also looks forward to attracting more people to participate in this sport through talent training, infrastructure construction and championships.