Another feather in the cap of Teun de Nooijer

Double Olympic hero Teun de Nooijer chosen as role model

Contemporary and modern hockey’s most admired star Tuen de Nooijer of The Netherlands, is now a global sport icon, after he has been selected among the 37 Athlete Role Model by the International Olympic Committee.

Double Olympic gold medallist and hockey legend Teun de Nooijer has been selected as hockey’s Athlete Role Model (ARM) for the 2nd Summer Youth Olympic Games (16-28 August in Nanjing, China). Teun is one of 37 ARMs chosen by The International Olympic Committee (IOC) from a list of athletes nominated by the 28 International Federations whose sports will feature at Nanjing 2014.

The Dutch superstar, who represented the Netherlands a record-breaking 453 times, is one of many legendary names from the world of sport, including Olympic and world champions. In Nanjing, they will play a key role in supporting, mentoring and offering advice to the 3,800 young athletes who will be participating in the Games. Also on the list will be ARMs from the world of rugby sevens and golf, sports which will make their YOG debuts at Nanjing 2014, before appearing at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.

Teun and his fellow ARMs will be accessible to the athletes both in the Youth Olympic Village and during a series of educational activities and workshops that will focus on areas such as skills development, how to lead healthy lifestyles, environment and social responsibility and Olympism.

Athletes at the Youth Olympic Games will get to engage in conversations with the ARMs throughout the Games. They will be behind the scenes during competition and will also be available for informal chats in the ARM lounge that will be open to all participants. The athletes can also learn valuable lessons from the ARMs during “Chat with Champions” sessions, which will also be accessible to people around the world on the IOC’s digital platforms. Fans of the YOG, meanwhile, will have the opportunity to put their questions directly to the ARMs during informal chat sessions on the IOC’s social media channels.

The main goal behind making the ARMs as accessible as possible is so they can share their experiences and inspire the young athletes to be the best they can be both on and off the field of play.

Teun de Nooijer is an excellent choice for the role. He won Olympic Gold in 1996 and 2000 and was a World Cup winner in 1998. He was voted FIH player of the year in 2004, 2005 and 2006 and since his retirement from international hockey, after winning silver at the 2012 Olympics, he has been involved with coaching at his club Bloemendaal and running the Teun de Nooijer Academy, which helps people in both business and sport achieve their potential.

Besides his jinking runs and stunning goals, Teun’s other trademark was the number 14 shirt he always wore when playing for the Netherlands. Worn in honour of Dutch footballing legend Johan Cruyff, it was one sporting hero’s homage to another. Following his international retirement, Teun was named a Knight in the Order of Orange Nassau, an honour bestowed by the Dutch royal family.

Claudia Bokel, Chair of the IOC Athletes’ Commission and Olympic silver medallist in fencing, said: “The Athlete Role Model programme is a really unique element of the Youth Olympic Games. The ARMs have so much valuable information to pass on to the younger generation. They will really inspire and empower the athletes long after the Games conclude to not only be great ‘Youth Olympians’, but to share the skills and values learnt at the YOG with their communities and peers.”