This year is the first year that the Dutch minigolf federation gets in financial problems.

Since the start of our federation in 1980 we get money from the national olympic committee. With this money it was possible to send national teams to European and World championships for juniors, general class and seniors. At first there were no problems using this money as honest as possible for the three classes. Some ten years ago the money was only allowed to the general class. But our treasurer was able to do it in a way that we could send all three classes to their championships, only for the seniors was it not possible to get all the money. The seniors had to pay more and more of their own and now you don't see the best seniors in the European chamionships, only the players that can afford to go.
Last year we got a letter of the olympic committee that they stopped the moneyflow to our federation in 2009, because there were less than 24 countries competing the last world championships in Steyr and Canegrate. Fortunately we could persuade them to think it over and during the assemblee we realised that the committe gives us this year 50% of the money we got last year. This means that we still can go to the coming championships, but we are not able to stay in a expensive hotel or a some cheaper hotel for the gerneral class. Besides that I don't think we will have a seniors team going to Lamego. Maybe three, four players will go to those championships.
For next year (2010) the committee will give us only 25% of the money of last year. That year it will be much more difficult to send a team tot Predazzo, becase of the prices of the hotels in that region.
In 2010 they will see if there are more participants during the championships in Odense. If there are no more than 24 countries, than I'm afraid that in 2010 it will be the last time a Dutch national team will participate the championships and only a few players who can afford it to play the World championships in Stockholm.
I hope that we can welcome more than 24 countries in Odense, so you can see the Dutch team in coming years at the championships.