3×3 basketball has produced so many great players all over the world. Many names put themselves on the map of 3×3 basketball with their magnificent performances. This beautiful game has given an enormous amount of tremendously exciting games in its 12-years history.
All those facts are proving the statement that this sport discipline has developed. One of the countries that is most significant for that progress is the Netherlands, popularly called Oranje. You will find out information about the tradition of the Netherlands national squad if you read next couple of paragraphs.
How was the debut appearance of the Netherlands in a big tournament?
Dutch players appeared for the first time in a big competition at the 2014 World Cup in Moscow. They had high hopes and big expectations for this tournament. Patrick Frimpong, Jesper Jobse, Alpha Sow, and Sander Trommelen represented Netherlands national squad in Russia.
Dutch roster competed in group A together with Germany, the USA, Tunisia, the Czech Republic, and Poland.
They suffered four defeats and won only one game against Germany. It was enough for fifth place in the group and Netherlands didn’t qualify for the elimination stage. Players and coaching staff left the World Cup in a bad mood knowing that there was space for improvement in upcoming years.
How did Oranje go in their first Europe Cup appearance?
Netherlands coaching staff thought that maybe their bigger opportunity to shine was the Europe Cup. Debut Dutch appearance in the continental competition was in Bucharest in September of 2016.
Capital of Romania was a chance for Jesper Jobse, Joey Schelvis, Matthew van Tongeren, and Sjoerd van Vilsteren. Those players were called for the Netherlands squad. The Dutch roster had a battle with Poland and the Czech Republic for the elimination stage.
Jesper Jobse and friends won both games in the pool stage and proceeded convincingly to the quarterfinal. Italy was beaten with 20-18 in the quarterfinal, but Serbia appeared as an insurmountable obstacle after that. The mighty Serbian guys defeated the heroes of our story with 21-12 and eliminated them from further competition.
What was the next challenge for the Dutch team?
All members of the Netherlands squad were eager to perform better than in the previous World Cup. Preparations for the 2016 World Cup in the Chinese city Guangzhou were done perfectly and everybody waited for the beginning of the contest in October with high optimism.
The roster was including Jesper Jobse, Gregory Pinas, Bas Rozendal, and Sjoerd van Vilsteren. They played in pool D along with China, Turkey, Japan, and the USA. Oranje beat China, Turkey, and Japan. That was sufficient for qualifying for the quarterfinal. Defeat after the mighty USA didn’t bother too many players from this country.
The top 8 stage fixture was played against Serbia, the runner-up from the previous World Cup. Dusan Bulut and teammates steamrolled the Netherlands with 22-10 and crushed their dreams of a big result at the planetary championship.
How did Dutch players react to two losses against Serbia in 2016?
The Dutch team went to World Cup in 2017 in French city Nantes with high ambitions based on their previous results. It was decided that Jesper Jobse, Joey Schelvis, Matthew van Tongeren, and Sjoerd van Vilsteren will represent the national team in France in June of 2017.
Oranje competed in pool D together with the United States, New Zealand, Indonesia, and South Korea. Jesper and his teammates finished the group stage in first place with four wins out of four fixtures. The unbelievable result was achieved with even beating the USA, number one favorite in the group.
Netherlands, first-place team in group, faced Russia in the first elimination stage. Russia was defeated with 15-13 and Slovenia with 13-12 in the semi. The final game was between Serbia and Netherlands and the Serbian player came out as winners again.
They pulled out a 21-18 victory in the game for the gold medal and won the trophy again.
What was the next station in Dutch national squad history?
The next station for the Dutch national squad was the 2017 Europe Cup in Amsterdam. The capital of the Netherlands was hosting the best 3×3 players from Europe one month after the World Cup in France. Matthew van Tongeren was replaced by Bas Rozendal for this competition.
Host Netherlands set big expectations for this tournament because they were playing in front of their passionate crowd. They played against Ukraine and Turkey in pool D and were clear favorites for first place in the group.
However, the Netherlands won against Turkey and surprisingly lost to Ukraine. The Dutch team ended as a second-place team and consequently had to play against dominant Serbia in the quarterfinal. Bulut and company were again too strong and beat them easily with 22-13.
There was sadness on the faces of Dutch players after the fixture as they disappointed fans, this time on their soil.
Where did Netherlands compete next?
The Dutch squad took part in World Cup held in the Philippines in 2018. Jesper Jobse, Aron Roije, Dimeo van der Horst, and Sjoerd Van Vilsteren represented the national team in this competition. It was another chance for the Netherlands to show potential on the big stage.
Dutch players had opponents Serbia, New Zealand, Romania, and Kyrgyzstan in pool A. They won against New Zealand, Romania, and Kyrgyzsta. Dutch team was defeated by mighty Serbia.
However, they took second place in the group and earned a ticket for the elimination stage.
Canada was beaten with 18-16 and Slovenia with 21-16 in the quarterfinal and semifinal respectively. Serbia was again fatal for the Netherlands as they defeated them in the game for first place with 16-13.
You can watch a full final game here:
What was the next tournament the Dutch team took part in?
The same members were part of the Netherlands national squad in the 2019 World Cup as in the previous planetary championship in the Philippines. The best 3×3 players in the world gathered this time in Amsterdam. Dutch guys wanted to finally win a trophy in front of their audience.
United States, Serbia, South Korea, Netherlands, and Turkey were members of group A. Dutch team won games against South Korea and Turkey. They were defeated by Serbia and United States which was somehow expected before the tournament. Jesper and his teammates were a third-place team in the group stage standings and, unfortunately, finished the competition.
How did Netherland’s roster react to disappointment on home soil?
The next challenge for the heroes of our story was 2019 Europe Cup which was held in Debrecen. The roster from World Cup in Amsterdam was participating in the continental championship.
Netherlands was competing in group C alongside Spain and Ukraine. Oranje lost against both opponents and was eliminated from further competition in the pool stage.
What was Dutch score in the 2021 Olympic Games?
Netherlands qualified for the first-ever Olympic Games in 3×3 basketball. Oranje performed in Tokyo in 2021 with Ross Bekkering, Dimeo van der Horst, Arvin Slagter, and Jessey Voorn in the squad.
The Dutch team ended the league of eight teams with four wins and three losses. It was sufficient for fourth place in the standing. Unfortunately, ROC (Russian Olympic Committee) was too strong and beat them in quarterfinal with 21-19. It was a solid performance for players from the Netherlands, but they didn’t participate in the final four of the Olympics.
How good was the Dutch performance in the 2021 Europe Cup in Paris?
Jan Driessen, Julian Jaring, Arvin Slagter, and Dimeo van der Horst were members of the Dutch national 3×3 squad at the continental championship in France.
Netherlands, Russia, and Israel were rivals in pool D and Oranje expected to pass the group stage. They were beaten by Russia and the game against Israel was won. One victory and one defeat were enough for earning the ticket for the Top 8.
Poland pulled out a 21-14 victory over the Dutch team in the elimination stage, so it was another devastating tournament for Oranje.
Which players represented the Netherlands in the 2022 World Cup?
Oranje wanted to redeem themself for previous failures in the big competitions. The planetary championship in Belgium city Antwerp was a huge chance for the Dutch squad to try to finally win a major tournament. Julian Jarring, Arvin Slagter, Dimeo van der Horst, and Jessey Voorn were players who performed for the Netherlands.
Dutch players competed in pool C with Poland, Latvia, China, and Japan. They won all four games. France beat the Netherlands with 18-13 in quarterfinal and crushed their dreams once again.
What was the second competition for Oranje in 2022?
Jan Driessen substituted Jessey Voorn in the roster for the Europe Cup held in Graz, Austrian city.
Oranje was in a group with neighbors Belgium and Azerbaijan. Jan Driessen and friends won both games and convincingly earned a card for the quarterfinal where they faced Austria. The host was defeated with 21-15. Serbia appeared in the next round and destroyed the ambitions of the heroes of our story like many times before. The result was 21-10 in favor of Serbia.
Fans of guys in orange shirts needed to accept that the team they support is not good enough to win the trophy.
Spectators of this thrilling sport remember even today some of the greatest shots of Netherlands players on the 3×3 courts. They recall the amazing actions of Oranje and talk about them with enthusiasm in their voice.
The Netherlands has shaped the look of the 3×3 basketball which we see today. They contributed to the popularity of the game with their strategy, work with young talents, and competitive approach to this sport.
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