JDH in action - Historic First at TOP Oss vs ADO Den Haag

Football

Historic First at TOP Oss vs ADO Den Haag

Last Friday, during the match between TOP Oss and ADO Den Haag, a female referee officiated a game in Dutch professional football for the first time. The honor went to 33-year-old Shona Shukrula from Alkmaar.

There was a lot of (media) attention leading up to this historic event in the generally quite traditional football world. However, it wasn’t too surprising that Shona Shukrula earned this milestone. On December 14, 2019, she became the first woman in the Netherlands to officiate a match at the highest amateur level in men's football. This happened during the match Jong Sparta vs ASWH in the Tweede Divisie.

On September 5, 2020, Shukrula made her debut as the first female fourth official in the Keuken Kampioen Divisie in the Netherlands, during the match FC Eindhoven vs Telstar. Over four years later, she made her debut as the main official in TOP Oss vs ADO Den Haag. Incidentally, the match ended in a 1-5 victory for the team from The Hague.

Read the article on the TOP Oss website here.

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Hockey

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Eliot Curty Unable to Lead Waterloo Ducks to KO8

Eliot Curty and his team, Waterloo Ducks, were unable to reach the final eight of the EHL. The Belgian team was defeated 4-2 in the first round by home team Surbiton HC.

Waterloo Ducks started strong in southwest London, leading 1-0 at halftime. However, the English side stepped up their game in the second half, securing a convincing win. While they did win against the Western Wildcats from Scotland in the consolation round, it was little more than a small consolation.

Thus, for French JDH player Eliot Curty, this EHL edition ends prematurely, allowing him to fully focus on the national league with The Ducks.

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Jasper Brinkman and Jan van 't Land with Bloemendaal Through to Final Eight

In contrast to Waterloo Ducks, Bloemendaal—with JDH players Jasper Brinkman and Jan van 't Land—has successfully reached the KO8. Last Thursday, the North Holland team won 2-1 against Real Club de Polo, and the following day they defeated Mannheimer HC 3-0.

The six-time EHL champions were knocked out early last season and are eager for revenge in Europe’s most prestigious club tournament. With these two impressive victories, they have taken the first step. HC Rotterdam also secured a spot in the final eight this past weekend, while Kampong, as national champions, was already guaranteed a place.

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