World Top Sports City moves people

Rotterdam is a vibrant and attractive city thanks in part to its top-level sports climate and events. Top-level sports connect and inspire residents and gets them moving. And sports provide international exposure and economic and social impact.

World Top Sports City
Rotterdam is a multifaceted World Top Sports City. With appealing events, excellent accommodations, professional support and facilities, with clubs and individual athletes who compete at the national and international top level, and young athletes who have the opportunity to develop their talents fully and responsibly. Well-organised events and Rotterdam's top-level sports performances make the city more attractive... for visitors, businesses, residents, and athletes.

Ever since the establishment of Rotterdam Topsport in 1991, Rotterdam has been making a name for itself when it comes to top-level and grassroots sports. Building on the track record built up since then, we are committed to high-profile events, such as World Cups and European Championships, but also to exceptional sporting events. Our goal is to host at least one such world sporting event every five to 10 years.

In doing so, we apply the principles of the ‘Dutch Approach’. That means efficiently, innovatively, inclusively, accessibly, healthily, safely, and sustainably organised sporting events with maximum economic and social impact.

We are part of Topsport Metropool, the organisation responsible for supporting TeamNL’s top-level sports programmes on behalf of NOC*NSF and the municipalities of Rotterdam, The Hague, and Dordrecht, bringing together the best athletes for each sport with the best coaches – in one location with the best facilities.

We connect our sporting events and Topsport Metropool by linking up with TeamNL’s top-level sports programmes, which are hosted by Rotterdam, now and in the future. We cherish traditional (Olympic) sports but are also a city of new forms of sports, such as e-sports and urban sports, and of innovative event concepts. We dare to take the lead in this and explicitly choose sporting events with impact. Ideally, they benefit the whole sports pyramid – the entire ecosystem of a sport, from recreational sports to elite sports plus all associated aspects. These events add value to grassroots sports, the sports infrastructure, and to all residents of Rotterdam.

We also strive to link top-level sporting events for people with disabilities with ‘regular’ top-level sporting events. We make visiting events as inclusive as possible.

City of Top Athletes
Rotterdam is a city for and of top athletes. The City of Rotterdam continues to invest in a professional top-level sports climate with excellent facilities. Top athletes and talents can excel here, they feel at home, and are at the centre of Rotterdam's society. This gives them the opportunity to advance to the top within their own environment, and then to inspire other athletes and talents with their sporting achievements.

Rotterdam is working actively on its position in the national top-level sports infrastructure, including as a home base for several TeamNL top-level sports programmes, which are also accessible to home-grown talents and which strengthen grassroots sports. Our top sports accommodations and training facilities are among the best in the Netherlands.

TeamNL athletes have the opportunity to train, study, and live in Rotterdam with minimal travel distances. They, like selection players from the top sports clubs and talents from the regional training centres, benefit from a facility network with committed providers of medical, physical, mental, and financial services, among other things.

Top-level Sports for the City
Rotterdam Topsport builds on three pillars: inspiring top-level sporting events, the exemplary role of elite athletes, and top-level sports as a driver of the economy and city marketing. We want to further strengthen the inspirational and societal value of top-level sports and to use top-level sports as a tool for themes such as health and a dynamic society. In this way, events support the city's social tasks.

Rotterdam residents should not only be able to visit an event or follow it on TV, but also to experience it for themselves, for example, through low-threshold side events around sporting events. These side events are an important building block in our policy to ensure that the city and its residents take full advantage of top-level sports.

Corporate social responsibility, a healthy lifestyle, and exercise combined with top-level sports are already spearheads in our collaboration with the regional business community. This goes beyond mere sponsorship. We see opportunities to involve more private parties from the city even more closely in top-level sports. These efforts are finding increasing resonance. In Rotterdam, this is how we build top-level sports and the city together.

Mission
Rotterdam Topsport focuses on acquiring and organising top-level sporting events, facilitating national top-level sports programmes, supporting top sports clubs, and creating conditions and facilities for talents to reach the top, nationally and internationally. Rotterdam Topsport is involved in the realisation of top sports accommodations and training centres. Our support increases the chances of success for associations and individual athletes, while strengthening the city's image. We make every effort to strengthen and position Rotterdam as a leading top sports city, both in the Netherlands and abroad.