08. April 2003  
Zutphen/Netherlands  
Artistic Gymnastics

KNGU looses law suit

Patricia Lasomer, Evi Neijssen

The Dutch gymnastics federation (KNGU) has lost a law suit at the court of Zutphen which was filed by the gymnasts Evi Neijssen and Patricia Lasomer from the gymnastics club Echt (Limburg). Both gymnasts, despite of showing according performances at the Dutch Championships (June 2002), have not been appointed for the squad of elite gymnasts ”Oranje und Jung Oranje” out of which the participants for international competitions are being recruited. …
The decision of the judges from Zutphen now obliges the Dutch Gymnastics Federation to appoint the two gymnasts to the Oranje-squad for the World-Championships preparations as well as to pay them a fee of € 250.00 per gymnast and per lost day.
The head of the club Patrick Echt Maurice Verheijen is glad about the decision of the judges: “Justice has won. The Dutch Gymnastics Federation can’t just change a rule which it had previously set up itself. This decision is also important for the future. I am quite sure that our gymnasts will get a fair chance from their federation now. Well, seeing it from a legal perspective I don’t expect any more problems…!”

The head of KNGU Frans Koffie said: “The judge is right. I will speak to my colleagues and will expressly ask them for their loyalty in order to give both gymnasts a fair chance. And they definitely have a right for that. In our federation – and I had not expected this kind of decision from the judges – we will change our regulations and procedures accordingly”.
Head coach Frank Louter and trainings co-ordinator Willem Veldman have been asked by their federation not to speak about this topic with the press.

According to the opinion of “insiders“ of the Dutch Women’s gymnastics scene this decision of the judges is the result of a selection procedure which had not been thought through sufficiently by the commission of women’s gymnastics before. This procedure should now be amended.
p.d.