english rotterdam: a city with a heart for sport! A city with a comprehensive sport policy from recreational sport to high class sport, from youth sport to sport for senior citizens and from club sport to international sporting events. The Rotterdam Topsport Foundation plays a leading role in this policy when it comes to sport at the highest level. Serving as a network organisation in a ‘public/private partnership’ with the Rotterdam municipal authority, the national and international sports world, business community, the media, science and education. The goal of Rotterdam Topsport is to improve the high class sport climate in Rotterdam, creating a city where attention is paid to all aspects of ‘high class sport’: from talent development to sports venues and from sport medical care to international sporting events: Rotterdam City of Sports! Rotterdam Topsport’s commitment is translated into concrete activities such as guidance and support for sport clubs at a national level and individual athletes (men and women), advising on sports venues, creating facilities for sporting talents within education and providing sport medical care. In close cooperation with the city department Sport and Recreation Rotterdam, work is in progress on linking recreational sport and high class sport in Rotterdam. Even though both require a specifically approach, recreational sport and high level sport are inextricably interwoven. One of the main tasks of Rotterdam Topsport is guidance and support for existing sporting events in Rotterdam and the acquisition of new high class sporting events, preferably with international status (ECs/WCs). Sporting events can count on financial support (sponsorship) and guidance and advice with regard to logistics, promotion and marketing. The role of Rotterdam Topsport in high class sporting events is to act as partner of the sport organisation right from the bid procedure to the final organisation. This takes place on the basis of a strategic vision, as a ‘spider’ in the Rotterdam ‘web’ for the promotion and encouragement of sport, for the development of Rotterdam as an attractive city and for the economic and promotional spin off. Rotterdam recognises the immense importance of high class sporting events as part of the city’s marketing policy. sporting events Rotterdam has a wide range of sporting events. Regular events on Rotterdam’s sport calendar include: the ABN AMRO (ATP) World Tennis Tournament, the indoor korfball final, the Dutch Open Judo, the Fortis Rotterdam Marathon, the World Port Baseball Tournament, the CHIO Rotterdam, the Holland Tournament (handball), the TIME for Korfball Challenge, etc. In addition, Rotterdam regularly hosts national and international championships and tournaments (boxing, basketball, hockey, table tennis, volleyball, karate etc.). Highlights in recent years were the EURO 2000 football final, the Davis Cup tennis semi-final (2001), the Champions Trophy hockey (2001), the UEFA Cup final in the Feyenoord stadium (2002), won by Feyenoord, the World Championship Korfball (2003) and the European Championship Judo and World Cup Baseball (2005) during the Rotterdam Sport Year 2005.   top sport clubs In addition to the three professional football clubs Feyenoord, Sparta and Excelsior, Rotterdam has clubs in different branches of sport that compete at the highest national level. Rotterdam Topsport works in close cooperation with: Rotterdam Basketball, ORTEC Rotterdam.Nesselande (volleyball), Hockey Club Rotterdam, AA Drink/Feijenoord van Teijlingen (table tennis), DOOR Neptunus (baseball), Rotterdam Foundation for the Promotion of Ladies Cycle Racing and Budokan Rotterdam Judo. In addition, a number of talent developing projects are supported, including the Basketball class, the branches of AA Drink/FvT and the Unicorns Baseball School via the Rotterdam United project. sport and education Rotterdam Topsport is the initiator and coordinator of the High class Sport + Education Platform Rotterdam. The schools and colleges (currently nine, ranging from primary school to Erasmus University) participating in this platform aim to create a continuous course of education from primary school to university in which an optimum combination of education and a sports career is possible. olympic network rotterdam Part of Rotterdam Topsport is the Olympic Network Rotterdam, where individual athletes and talents receive guidance and advice in technical, medical, mental and social aspects of sport. The Rotterdam region has approximately 80 A-ranked athletes (those who end in the first eight of an EC or WC or participate in the Olympic Games) and B-athletes (participants in EC or WC). sports medical centre rotterdam Rotterdam Topsport works closely with the Sports Medical Centre Rotterdam. The activities of this Sports Medical Centre include: physical examinations for sport, injury consultations, tests, sport rehabilitation, sport massage, dietary advice, and sport physiotherapy for those involved in high class sport and those in recreational sport. budget Rotterdam Topsport’s budget is formed by a financial grant from the Rotterdam municipal authority and by income from sponsors. A sponsor plan is used for income from sponsorship and has proved to be a success. Businesses represented in Rotterdam Topsport’s sponsor group are closely involved in all activities.