The Van Lint Week is named after former rector Jacq van Lint (1991-1996) who was very passionate about sports and greatly improved sports facilities for Eindhoven students. Every year, a dedicated committee of the Eindhoven Student Sports Federation organizes four days of fun sports in the week prior to the Christmas break. All sports activities are in line with their mission; playing sports together in an accessible way.

“That’s why we only offer team sports,” says committee member Tjibbe Lakerveld, “and everyone is welcome. You don’t even need a sports card and you can bring brothers, sisters, friends, housemates or fellow society members. But be sure to sign up on time; some activities fill up quickly.”

Lakerveld mentions canoe polo, tchoukball and goalball as popular Van Lint sports and he expects the water obstacle course in the pool to be a big hit as well. Personally, he is eager to participate in canoe polo. Registration is possible from November 25. Three hundred people are expected to participate each day, and there are about twenty different activities to choose from.

Goalball

“We ask for a contribution of 6 euros per team and any money left over will be donated to a charity. This year, that charity is The Dutch Disabled Sports Association,” says Lakerveld. One sport that aligns well with this charity is goalball. “This sport was featured at the Paralympics in Paris, where it was played by blind and visually impaired athletes. In our version, the participants are blindfolded and they play a kind of handball with a ball that has a bell in it. And the ball isn’t thrown, but rolled.” The activity is in keeping with the effort to give everyone an opportunity to play sports, believes the committee.

The water obstacle course is a new addition this year. “Think of it as a relay race. The pool is 25 meters long; you need to get across the obstacles as fast as you can and then swim back. Each team decides for themselves how many members will compete.”

Tchoukball

Another highlight is tchoukball, which involves two six-person teams playing against each other. There are two trampolines set upright, Lakerveld explains. “You score points when the ball bounces off one of those trampolines and is then caught by a teammate. When that happens, you must score on the other trampoline. Because it’s so intense, players often swap out and there are many teammates cheering the players on from the sidelines. It’s so much fun!”