Ms. Edith I. Schippers is currently on a visit to India heading a Netherlands delegation.
The MoU provides for exchange of knowledge and experience in the fields of Sports Management, competition infrastructure set-up, coaching, training systems, training of referees for various sports disciplines and top-sport development through youth academies.
The MoU also provides for cooperation and exchange programmes in the field of innovative sports infrastructure development and management including financial development, spatial area development, planning of sports infrastructure and facilities, designing of sports infrastructure and facilities, exploitation of resources, management training and safety & security.
In the MoU, two areas viz., feasibility study or Detailed Project Report on the area development and resource exploitation possibilities around one major Stadium in Delhi and feasibility study on the development and management of turnkey indoor sporting units to increase broad access to sporting facilities nationwide and exploring the possibility of opening a pilot unit of the same have been included for immediate execution.
Signing of the MoU was preceded by delegation-level talks between the two countries where steps to enhance co-operation between the two countries in the field of sports were discussed.
A Seminar on Indo-Dutch Collaboration on Sports was also organized on 30th January 2014 at Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium, New Delhi.
The seminar was jointly organized by the Sports Authority of India (SAI), Embassy of Kingdom of the Netherlands and India-Netherlands Business Association (INBA).
Optimum utilization and legacy usage of sports stadia as well as their use for non-sporting events and public private partnership in sports sector were the main themes of the Seminar.
Experts from the Netherlands, members of the India-Netherlands Business Association, representatives from the State Governments, public sector, private sector, Sports Authority of India and the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports participated in the Seminar.
Signing of the MoU between the two countries and holding of the Seminar was a follow-up to the Indian delegation’s visit to Netherlands in June 2013. Shri Jitendra Singh, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Youth Affairs & Sports had headed the four member Indian delegation.
The Indian delegation had evinced interest in the management and legacy usage of the Amsterdam Arena, the largest football stadium in the Netherlands. India can benefit from the expertise and knowledge of Netherlands in the fields of sports science, sports medicine and sports coaching.
