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Netherlands - Pool C (Scroll down for Spanish)
The National Volleyball Federation of the Netherlands was founded in 1947, the same year as the founding of the FIVB, and the sport soon became an integral part of school curricula. Two years later, the national team took part in the first World Championship in Czechoslovakia and finished tenth. But then, the Orange team had to wait until the beginning of the 1990s for their international breakthrough when legendary coach Arie Selinger was put in charge of molding the national squad. The Dutch scored their best result at the World Championship in Greece (1994), where they won the silver medal. Four years later in Japan they were sixth and last year in Argentina ninth. The team also showed skills and determination at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics to win the silver medal, but it was four years later at the Atlanta Olympic tournament where they proved their might, triumphing over the mighty Italy in the finals. The then unbeatable Dutch side eclipsed all other teams to win the elite World League the same year and went on to claim the European title in 1997. A new era of the Dutch team began in 2001 with the appointment of Bert Goedkoop as new head coach. Goedkoop, former coach of the Dutch women's team, started his first season with several new and inexperienced players but nevertheless led the team to the finals of the World League in Poland's Katowice to finish seventh. Last year, Goedkoop's now consolidated team bore its teeth to finish a creditable seventh in the World League. In the elite World League rankings, the Netherlands, which has competed in all previous 13 editions, lies at overall seventh place and has more than stamped its signature on this annual competition by 8 times finishing in the top five. In the 2003 edition, the Netherlands will compete in Pool C, together with Yugoslavia, Cuba and China. The team currently occupies the seventh position of the FIVB World ranking.
 

Squad: Dirk-Jan van Gendt (Alcom/Capelle, NED); Nico Freriks (Noliko Maaseik, BEL); Marko Klok (ORTEC.Nesselande, NED); Reinder Nummerdor (Asystel Milano, ITA); Guido Görtzen (Pet Company Perugia, ITA); Richard Schuil (Padova, ITA); Mike van de Goor (Piet Zoomers/D, NED); Erik Siebers (BMC/SSS, NED); Jeroen Trommel (VC Omniworld, NED); Erik Schuil (Alcom/Capelle, NED); Gerjan Huisken (Alcom/Capelle, NED); Justin Sombroek (Orion, NED); Joppe Paulides (VC Omniworld, NED); Robert Horstink (Piet Zoomers/D, NED); Joram Maan (Piet Zoomers/D, NED); Allan van de Loo (Alcom/Capelle, NED); Rob Bontje (BMC/SSS, NED); Dennis van der Veen (VC Zwolle, NED).