Of course, they’re proud to represent Maastricht University. It’s hard to imagine a higher goal. But that it would cost this much time, energy and money was something they weren’t expecting. “We’re talking about 10,000 euros,” says Marlow Baines, chair of the student basketball association. Almost half that amount (4000 euros) is earmarked for the deposit teams have to pay to guarantee a place at the Games. There are also other compulsory costs for accommodation and meals – teams have to remain for the whole tournament. And then there are the entry fees the organisation charges: 50 euros per person. “We’ve got ten players, two coaches and a referee. You work it out,” says Baines, pointing at her team mates who were also present for the interview. “And then we still have to pay the travel costs.”
Financial support
On 18 July, the bi-annual sports event for students at European universities will kick off in the southern Italian city Salerno. Hundreds of athletes will take part in thirteen sports, including badminton, football, handball, tennis, volleyball and, of course, basketball. Representing Maastricht University, the Maastricht Knights – who were crowned champions in their division last Saturday – were the only team here to qualify; in the history of the event, the number of Dutch university basketball teams to qualify can be counted on one hand. “We qualified second this year,” says Baines. “Because the first team couldn’t go, we were invited to come. You don’t turn down something like that.”
As a result of this unique result, the team had been hoping for financial support from UM. A vain hope, as it turned out. They also approached the national basketball association, without success. And so the club offered to lend the team the money, all 10,000 euros. That needs to be paid back now. It’s a heavy responsibility, says Baines, who is not only chair of the club, but also captain of the team. “We tried to find sponsors, we’ve only managed one so far. We’re also organising tournaments, for which teams have to pay an entry fee. We’re selling homemade cookies to the spectators. But those are not vast sums of money. We are all working overtime to raise the money.”
Hobby
They still need two thousand euros, and in a bid to bring that number down faster, there was a brainstorm session to come up with fundraising ideas. They have also set up a GoFundMe page. Because not going is not an option: the deposit has been paid and won’t be refunded, whether the Knights play or not. “It’s a shame that it’s such hard work. There is hardly any interest in university sports in the Netherlands. The outside world sees us as a bunch of amateurs with a hobby, but we’re really good, we’re competing at an international level. It feels like a missed opportunity for the university and for Maastricht. If we didn’t love this sport so much, we’d have given up a long time ago.”