Last week in the Netherlands, the so-called annual ‘ribbon rain’ took place, and many volunteers were given a Royal distinction for their contribution. Whilst today we put two special people in the spotlight: Rob ten Cate and Jan Albers, it is also a tribute to all those other volunteers.
Rob ten Cate
Rob ten Cate was presented with his medal by the mayor of Rotterdam and was appointed Knight in the Order of Orange-Nassau, because he has been committed to hockey umpires in the Netherlands for about 50 years. In the 70s, Ten Cate started as a club umpire, and in 1981, he became a national umpire
In addition to a fine national umpiring career, Ten Cate was appointed international umpire by the International Hockey Federation (FIH) in 1996. In 2006, he was included in the highest panel worldwide. He umpired at the highest levels, with highlights such as the Hockey World Cup in Germany in 2006 and the 2008 Olympic Games in China. After the latter tournament, Ten Cate retired internationally and in 2011 also as an umpire for the national group.
He does this in his own, direct, and clear way, but with one goal: to improve the referee, at whatever level. In recent years, he has started umpiring again himself and is sent out weekly with a young, talented umpire to help him or her in their development.
The KNHB knows Ten Cate as a committed and active volunteer with a real hands-on mentality and a clear opinion, but also as someone who is open to new ideas and insights.
He has made a huge contribution to Hockey ID in Europe, being the go-to Umpires Manager for the EuroHockey ID Championships, where his leadership, knowledge, and sense of fun have played a major role in the success of this event!
Jan Albers
As a supporter, Jan Albers was in the audience at the Olympic final in 2004 in Athens. He himself could not have imagined that this would be the starting signal for his years of volunteer work for the KNHB and the FIH. Then KNHB chairman André Bolhuis asked Albers to do more for the hockey sport, and so he started as team manager of the “Oranje Dames”. This managerial position was the perfect stepping stone to board member Tophockey in 2005 and eventually chairman of the KNHB in October 2006.
As chairman, Albers was very involved, very energetic, but also calm and rational. And when necessary, always available for his director, fellow board members, or hockey clubs in the country. In the background now, but still, Albers could be found everywhere on the fields.
During his period as chairman, Albers and the KNHB achieved a great deal, with the acquisition and successful organisation of the Hockey World Cup in The Hague in 2014 in the ADO Den Haag football stadium as the absolute highlight.
During, but also after his period as chairman of the KNHB, Albers took a seat on the board of the FIH. In his elected role as Executive Board member, his focal points included good governance and international relations.
Albers has never put his own interests first; everything he did and stood up for was in the interest of Dutch hockey and the international position of hockey. In everything he does and has done, an enormous ambition, passion, and commitment are evident.
When he retired as KNHB chairman in 2014, Jan Albers was appointed honorary member of the KNHB, and after his KNHB period, he continued to serve Dutch sports as chairman of the Supervisory Board of first PSV and then the KNVB professional football section. For all his voluntary contributions to Dutch sports and society, in which he also had multiple roles towards the less fortunate in our society, Albers has now been honored by being appointed a Knight in the Order of Orange-Nassau.
The KNHB thanks Albers and Ten Cate for their years of dedication and congratulates them on the wonderful award they have received. They are – together with all the other volunteers – indispensable for the sport of hockey!
Source: KNHB.nl
Photographs: World sport pics (c)
