Sports
- Estella Agsteribbe (1909–1943), Olympic champion gymnast (team combined exercises)
- Christijan Albers (born 1979), Formula 1 driver
- Eddie Arnold (gymnast) (died 2000) Olympic gymast
- Ryan Babel (born 1986), football player
- Raymond van Barneveld (born 1967), darts player
- Marco van Basten (born 1964), manager and retired football player
- Stan van Belkum (born 1961), water polo player
- Carina Benninga (born 1962), field hockey player, Olympic champion, bronze
- Dennis Bergkamp (born 1969), manager and retired football player
- Det de Beus (born 1958), field hockey goalkeeper
- Fanny Blankers-Koen (1918–2004), athlete
- Rens Blom (born 1977), 2005 World Champion pole vault
- Frank de Boer (born 1970), retired football player
- Ronald de Boer (born 1970), retired football player
- Floris Jan Bovelander (born 1966), field hockey player
- Mart Bras (born 1950), water polo player
- Jacques Brinkman (born 1966), field hockey player
- Giovanni van Bronckhorst (born 1975), football player
- Inge de Bruijn (born 1974), swimmer
- Daniël de Ridder (born 1984), football player, forward winger/attacking midfielder (Wigan Athletic & U21 national team)
- Ton Buunk (born 1952), water polo player
- Johan Cruijff (born 1947), retired football player and former manager
- Edgar Davids (born 1973), football player
- Marc Delissen (born 1965), field hockey player
- Cees Jan Diepeveen (born 1956), field hockey player
- Sjoukje Dijkstra, figure skater
- Robert Doornbos (born 1981), Formula 1 driver
- Jacco Eltingh (born 1970), tennis player
- Francisco Elson (born 1976), NBA player for Utah Jazz and San Antonio Spurs
- Max Euwe (1901–81), chess player
- Louis van Gaal (born 1951), football player and manager
- Dan Gadzuric (born 1978), NBA player for Milwaukee Bucks
- Anton Geesink (1934–2010), judoka
- Yvonne van Gennip (born 1964), speed skater
- Anky van Grunsven (born 1968), dressage
- Ruud Gullit (born 1962), football player and coach
- Paul Haarhuis (born 1966), tennis player
- Willem van Hanegem (born 1944), football player and coach
- Wil Hartog (born 1948) Grand Prix motorcycle racer
- Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink (born 1972), football player
- John Heitinga (born 1983), football player
- Guus Hiddink (born 1946), manager and retired football player
- Ellen Hoog (born 1986), field hockey player
- Pieter van den Hoogenband (born 1978), swimmer
- Ernesto Hoost (born 1965), kickboxer
- Jan Janssen (born 1940), cyclist
- Jelle Klaasen (born 1984), darts player
- Bep van Klaveren (1907–1992), boxer
- Patrick Kluivert (born 1976), football player
- Ronald Koeman (born 1963), football player and manager
- Ada Kok (born 1947), swimmer
- Sven Kramer (born 1986), speed skater
- Richard Krajicek (born 1971), tennis player
- Ties Kruize (born 1952), field hockey player
- Dirk Kuyt (born 1980), football player
- Nico Landeweerd (born 1954), water polo player
- Ellen van Langen (born 1966), athlete
- Elka de Levie (1905–1979), Olympic champion gymnast (team combined exercises)
- Arie Luyendyk (born 1953), race car driver
- Rie Mastenbroek (1919–2003), swimmer
- Loek van Mil (born 1984), baseball player
- Leontien van Moorsel (born 1970), cyclist
- Ruud van Nistelrooy (born 1976), football player
- Teun de Nooijer (born 1976), field hockey player
- Helena Nordheim (1903–1943), Olympic champion gymnast (team combined exercises)
- Tom Okker (born 1944), tennis player, won 1973 French Open Men's Doubles (w/John Newcombe), 1976 US Open Men's Doubles (w/Marty Riessen), highest world ranking # 3 in singles, and # 1 in doubles
- Tinus Osendarp (1916–2002), athlete
- Alistair Overeem (born 1980), MMA fighter and former kickboxer
- Robin van Persie (born 1983), football player
- Annie Polak, Olympic champion gymnast (team combined exercises)
- Frank Rijkaard (born 1962), football player and manager
- Lucia Rijker (born 1967), boxer and kickboxer
- Rintje Ritsma (born 1970), speed skater
- Arjen Robben (born 1984), football player
- Gianni Romme (born 1973), speed skater
- Wim Ruska (born 1940), judoka
- Bas Rutten (born 1965), mixed martial artist
- Edwin van der Sar (born 1970), football player
- Ard Schenk (born 1944), speed skater
- Clarence Seedorf (born 1976), football player
- Aryeh "Arie" Selinger (born 1937), volleyball player & coach
- Avital Selinger, Olympic silver
- Gerald Sibon (born 1974), football player
- Judijke Simons, Olympic champion gymanst (team combined exercises)
- Emil Sitoci (born 1985), pro wrestler
- Rutger Smith (born 1981), athlete
- Rik Smits (born 1966), NBA player
- Wesley Sneijder (born 1984), football player
- Petra van Staveren (born 1966), swimmer
- Betty Stöve (born 1945), tennis player
- Carole Thate (born 1971), field hockey player
- Jan Timman (born 1951), chess player
- Regilio Tuur (born 1967), boxer
- Jochem Uytdehaage (born 1976), speed skater
- Rick VandenHurk (born 1985), baseball player
- Arnold Vanderlyde (born 1963), boxer
- Jim Van der Meer (born 1980), Dutch-Canadian ice hockey player
- Bart Veldkamp (born 1967), speed skater
- Kees Verkerk (born 1942), speed skater
- Martin Verkerk (born 1978), tennis player
- Jos Verstappen (born 1972), F1 Grand Prix racing driver
- Bert van Vlaanderen (born 1964), long-distance runner
- Gregory van der Wiel (born 1988), football player
- Harm Wiersma (born 1953), checkers player
- Hans Wouda (born 1941), water polo player
- Marcel Wouda (born 1972), swimmer
- Joop Zoetemelk (born 1946), cyclist
Read more about this topic: List Of Dutch People
Famous quotes containing the word sports:
“Even from their infancy we frame them to the sports of love: their instruction, behaviour, attire, grace, learning and all their words aimeth only at love, respects only affection. Their nurses and their keepers imprint no other thing in them.”
—Michel de Montaigne (1533–1592)
“Short of a wholesale reform of college athletics—a complete breakdown of the whole system that is now focused on money and power—the women’s programs are just as doomed as the men’s are to move further and further away from the academic mission of their colleges.... We have to decide if that’s the kind of success for women’s sports that we want.”
—Christine H. B. Grant, U.S. university athletic director. As quoted in the Chronicle of Higher Education, p. A42 (May 12, 1993)
“Sweet smiling village, loveliest of the lawn,
Thy sports are fled and all thy charms withdrawn;
Amidst thy bowers the tyrant’s hand is seen,
And desolation saddens all thy green;
One only master grasps the whole domain,
And half a tillage stints thy smiling plain;”
—Oliver Goldsmith (1730?–1774)