Dutch Championships 2024: New champions crowned in Kijkduin

From August 30 to September 1, the Dutch Championships were held in the picturesque coastal town of Kijkduin. The tournament, which traditionally brings together the best Dutch teams, once again delivered exciting matches and crowned new champions.

Stefan Boermans and Yorick de Groot triumphed in a thrilling final, defeating their toughest rivals on home soil: Matthew Immers and Steven van de Velde. After the two top Dutch teams had recently faced off in a nerve-wracking showdown at the Elite16 in Hamburg, expectations were high among the fans in Kijkduin. However, Boermans/de Groot remained unfazed by their previous encounter in Germany and, with a consistently dominant performance, secured the championship with a well-deserved straight-set victory (21-16, 21-15).

Meanwhile, Alexander Brouwer teamed up with Ruben Penninga for the national championships, as his former long-time partner, Robert Meeuwsen, recently retired after a successful career, bidding farewell at the European Championships in The Hague in front of a home crowd. Despite the change in partners, Alexander Brouwer, alongside Ruben Penninga, fought hard to claim third place. They defeated their opponents, Sengers and Boehlé, in two sets (21-12, 21-17), completing the men's podium in Kijkduin.

In the women’s final, a thrilling showdown took place between world number three duo Stam/Schoon and surprise finalists Bröring/van Driel. Although the favored team Stam/Schoon struggled at first, they eventually showcased their class and secured the coveted title of Dutch champions with an exciting 2-1 victory (17-21, 21-13, 15-9). After missing the podium at the European Championships, the joy of this triumph was even greater.

The battle for third place was just as intense: Luini and Poiesz delivered an outstanding performance, defeating Bak and Gras with a dominant 2-0 win (21-12, 21-9). With an impressive display, they gave their opponents little chance to apply sustained pressure and capped off their strong tournament run with a well-deserved spot on the podium.