Mark Huizinga inspires new generation at Euro 2027

When Mark Huizinga was eighteen he sat high in the stands during the European Team Championships in Den Bosch. For the first time he saw the sport at that level live in the Netherlands. On the tatami were the big names of that era such as Ben Spijkers, Theo Meijer and Anthonie Wurth. Huizinga took photographs throughout the day then returned home buzzing with excitement after seeing his heroes up close.

More than three decades later the Olympic champion finds himself on the other side of the sport. Huizinga is now tournament director for the 2027 European Championships in Apeldoorn, bringing elite judo back to the Netherlands once again.

For Huizinga the motivation is simple. He wants young athletes to experience the same spark he felt back in 1991.

Huizinga explained that being able to attend such an event in your own country can mean everything for young athletes. Seeing the best competitors in Europe shows what it takes to reach that level and can inspire the next generation to chase the same dream.

The Netherlands has a strong reputation when it comes to organising major sporting events. Huizinga emphasises that staging a championship is never the work of one person. A large team stands behind the scenes to make everything run smoothly while the spotlight remains where it belongs, on the athletes.

The goal is to welcome the best judoka in Europe into an arena where the atmosphere lifts them. Ideally Dutch athletes will also fight deep into the tournament which adds another layer of energy to the crowd. Huizinga believes that sense of warmth and enthusiasm can help competitors perform beyond themselves.

His memories as an athlete still shape his thinking. Huizinga fought at many European Championships but two stand out. One was the 1996 edition in The Hague where friends and familiar faces filled the arena. Another was the event in Ostend in 1997 where the atmosphere created a feeling of unity among athletes and supporters. Moments like those show the real power of major championships.

Creating that same experience in Apeldoorn is now the challenge.

Despite stepping into an organisational role Huizinga still speaks like a competitor. Competing at home brings pressure though he always enjoyed it.

He says he would already be satisfied if the event runs smoothly and the crowd creates an atmosphere strong enough to push Dutch athletes into the final block. That situation brings extra tension though he believes young competitors should embrace it. Pressure in front of a home crowd prepares athletes for even greater expectations at the Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

Huizinga personally thrived on that feeling. He points out that a packed arena where you can hear the crowd gives a completely different energy compared with a large stadium where support disappears into the distance.

He remembers the 2005 European Championships in Rotterdam’s Ahoy Arena where more than four thousand spectators created a powerful environment that athletes could truly feel.

As tournament director he also wants the event to reach beyond sport itself. Over the coming year the organisers plan to build a broader programme around the championships so the event becomes both a celebration and a moment of impact for the wider community.

Huizinga explains that life as an athlete was much simpler. Your entire focus was the next opponent and the plan to defeat them. Now he has to look at the bigger picture and ensure the event grows beyond judo alone. Watching other major sporting events such as the Winter Games recently reminded him how inspiring elite sport can be. That same feeling is something he hopes to recreate on the road towards the Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

The Netherlands has a strong tradition in hosting the European Championships. The country previously welcomed the tournament in Rotterdam in 1957 and again in 2005, Amsterdam in 1960, Voorburg in 1972, Kerkrade in 1979 and The Hague in 1996. Dutch organisers have also staged the European Team Championships three times.

With Apeldoorn 2027 on the horizon Huizinga now hopes a new generation will sit in the stands, watch their heroes and go home just as inspired as he once was.

Back to the overview