3×3 basketball players Sports Team of the Year, wheelchair basketball players and rowing coach also won prizes

NOS Sport•yesterday, 9:02 PM

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Sports Team of the Year

The Dutch 3×3 basketball players have been named Sports Team of the Year at the NOC*NSF Sports Gala in Papendal. Jan Driessen, Dimeo van der Horst, Arvin Slagter and Worthy de Jong gave the Netherlands a historic gold medal at the last Olympic Games.

On Monday evening, August 5, at the Place de la Concorde in Paris, the team won 18-17 against host country France in the final after a true thriller in overtime. In the last second of the shot clock, Worthy de Jong took the leading role with a striking two-pointer. Just before that, De Jong was also responsible for 16-16, which made extra time necessary.

“I am often reminded of it,” De Jong said on stage in Papendal. “It was a very special moment.”

Who chooses the sports awards of the year?

The shortlists with all nominees were drawn up last month by sports umbrella organization NOC*NSF, the NOS and the chairman of the professional jury, former volleyball player Bas van de Goor. The professional jury then selected the nominees.

In addition to the chairman, the professional jury consists of Ellen van Langen, Arjen Robben, Femke Heemskerk, Bettine Vriesekoop, Jelmar Bos, Toon Gerbrands, Marcel Geestman and Lisette van der Geest.

Top athletes chose their favorites via a digital vote on December 9 and 10. That vote counted for 50 percent of the result, the votes of the professional jury determined the other 50 percent.

In the election, the 3×3 basketball players trumped the mixed 4×400 meter athletics relay team and the team sprinters (men) in track cycling. Those teams also won Olympic gold in Paris. Last year, the 4×400 meter relay runners, who won the world title in 2023, were Sports Team of the Year.

Para sports team of the year: wheelchair basketball women

The title Parasport Team of the Year also went to a basketball team, the wheelchair basketball players. They extended their Paralympic title on Sunday, September 8. The Dutch team had a difficult time with the United States in the final in Paris, but got their affairs in order in the second quarter and won convincingly: 63-49.

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Para sports team of the year

The wheelchair basketball players also became Parasport Team of the Year last year, then as European champions and world champions. (Track) cyclists Tristan Bangma and Patrick Bos and the wheelchair tennis duo Sam Schröder/Niels Vink were the other nominees this year.

Coach of the Year: Eelco Meenhorst

The Dutch team won gold four times, silver three times and bronze once. This made the Netherlands the best rowing country at the Games. The Netherlands had never won more than once gold in rowing at previous Games.

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Sports Coach of the Year

“This is not my prize, but a prize for the team, for all rowers,” Meenhorst said after receiving the prize.

Meenhorst also won the award last year, with five World Cup gold medals and three World Cup silver medals to his name as a coach. In this election he defeated Jeroen Delmee, national coach of the golden Olympic hockey men, and Laurent Meuwly, athletics coach of, among others, Femke Bol and the successful relay teams.