Netherlands

Michael van Praag has pulled out of the race to be president of Fifa and has pledged to support Prince Ali bin al-Hussein of Jordan in his bid to become the new chief of football’s global governing body.

The Dutch Olympic Committee (NOC*NSF) has said that a key decision over political backing for its bid for the 2019 European Games will be made before the end of next month’s edition of the multi-sport event, after the European Olympic Committees (EOC) on Saturday unanimously approved in principle the Netherlands’ multi-city model.

The Netherlands is poised to land the 2019 European Games after the European Olympic Committees (EOC) said its multi-city proposal is the “preferred candidate” for the second edition of the multi-sport event.

The Dutch Olympic Committee (NOC*NSF) has voted in favour of launching a nationwide bid for the 2019 edition of the European Games multi-sport event.

The World Squash Federation (WSF) has confirmed that its 2015 World Junior Championships will now take place in Eindhoven, the Netherlands.

The International Judo Federation (IJF) has awarded its 2015 World Championships Veterans and World Championships Kata events to Amsterdam.

The Dutch Olympic Committee (NOC*NSF) is stepping up its efforts to land the 2019 European Games with a special meeting to be held at the end of the month dedicated to discussing staging the multi-sport event.

The Infront Sports & Media agency has acquired Dutch sports marketing firm Referee Sportsmarketing from travel management company ATPI to boost its winter sports portfolio.

Michael van Praag, the president of the KNVB, football’s administrative body in the Netherlands, has confirmed he will challenge incumbent Sepp Blatter for the presidency of Fifa, the sport’s global governing body.

The Dutch Olympic Committee (NOC*NSF) has said it is considering a bid for the 2019 European Games multi-sport event.

The Belgian Football Association (URBSFA/KBVB) and Royal Netherlands Football Federation (KNVB) have announced that their BeNe League women’s club competition will not be retained beyond the current season.

The International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) will choose between Stuttgart, Germany and Rotterdam, the Netherlands for the host of its 2019 Artistic Gymnastics World Championships.

The International Triathlon Union has revealed that Mexico will host its World Triathlon Grand Final in 2016 while Rotterdam in the Netherlands will stage the 2017 edition of the showpiece.

Uefa has announced that its new Nations League national team competition will be introduced in 2018, while European football’s governing body has awarded its Women’s Euro 2017 tournament to the Netherlands.

Wasserman Media Group has moved to expand its presence in the European football market with the acquisition of Dutch agency Sport-Promotion.

The Royal Dutch Skating Association (KNSB) has entered into a wide-ranging partnership with South Korean counterpart the Korea Skating Union (KSU) that aims to generate more investment in the sport, among other initiatives.