Ahmedabad, Feb 17 (PTI) A red-hot India is expected to steamroll the Netherlands in their final T20 World Cup league fixture on Wednesday but the Dutch are not intimidated by that prospect.
They are instead psyched about playing at the world’s largest cricket stadium, with a capacity of 1.32 lakh, which even at half full would have more people in attendance than the Dutch fans who show up to support their more popular and infinitely more successful football team.
“Playing India in India at the world’s largest stadium, it is massive for us. More people would be attending tomorrow’s game than the Dutch fans who turn up for their team in a FIFA World Cup,” John van Vliet, who handles media and marketing for the Netherlands team, told PTI.
“The sponsors back home should see the value in that but so far they have not,” Vliet said on the eve of the game.
The stadium’s seats are orange, the colour of Netherlands’ sports teams which are popularly called ‘Oranje’.
The story of Netherlands mirrors majority of the semi-professional associate teams taking part in the 20-nation T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka.
It was three days before their tournament-opener that the Netherlands were able to rope in a sponsor.
Expectedly it was an Indian sponsor that came to their rescue, just like it was the case in the 2023 ODI World Cup, which was also staged in the biggest cricketing nation.
Financial service firm Globe came on board just three days before the tournament began but Vliet is hoping their association lasts longer than the duration of the tournament.
The Netherlands have been a regular in ICC events but the sport still remains on the margins in a football-mad nation. The team has had Dutch companies sponsoring them briefly but they too had an Indian connection.
“We are hoping we do well against India in our final game and that could lead to more commercial tie ups in the future,” added Vliet referring to the team’s imminent exit from the tournament.
A little later, the Netherlands captain Scott Edwards too spoke about the significance of playing India in a 1.32 lakh capacity cauldron.
“It’s obviously a massive opportunity. It is the biggest stadium in the world. To be playing against India in India, the biggest stadium, is something all the guys are really looking forward to,” said Edwards, who has roots in Australia and Tonga.
“It’s a great opportunity to test yourselves against the best. Cricket is growing in the Netherlands. Obviously, soccer is the main sport and we probably will never get to that level.
“But for us, it’s just promoting the game and hopefully our performances can help grow that game in the Netherlands,” he added.
The tournament is being broadcast back home and a special performance against the sport’s powerhouse on Wednesday may lead to more fans and sponsors of the game back home.
Vliet’s sporting journey ================= Vliet has been pushing the media and commercial interests of the Netherlands cricket team for a while and has solid credentials to excel in his current role, having worked as a football commentator since 1992 and being the media attache of the Netherlands in the London Olympics.
“I still commentate in Dutch during Champions League and Europa League. I won’t be doing the FIFA World Cup this year as my company doesn’t have the rights of that,” he said.
“I was hired by Netherlands post the Olympics in 2012. Limited sponsor interest makes the job more challenging but it is not fun if it is not challenging,” added Vliet. PTI BS PM BS PM PM
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