In the Netherlands they say “sporten is voor iedereen”, or to translate, “sport is for everyone”. This is
certainly reflected with the Dutch sport Korfball – a sister sport to netball and basketball.

Korfball is a mixed-gender team sport where players aim to shoot a ball into a high basket called a ‘korf’. Originating
in 1902, Korfball was founded when Dutch school teacher Nico Broekhuysen created it as an outdoor
sport for mixed groups of boys and girls. A year later, The Dutch Korfball Association was established
allowing the sport to spread through the Netherlands and it’s colonial territories. Due to the popularity of
the sport, Korfball was demonstrated at the 1920 Antwerp Olympics, leading to the establishment of the
Belgian Korfball Association. Nowadays korfball is renowned for its dynamic, fast-paced action and its
mergence of genders.

Played on a rectangular court, Korfball features two teams of eight (four men, four women) who’s goal is
to outscore their opponents via scoring points through the korf (basket). Controlled physical contact is
allowed, although players cannot gain an advantage from it. Players cannot dribble or run with the ball –
they must pass to a teammate or shoot. A player within an arm’s length of an opponent cannot shoot as
they are being defended. After every two goals, attackers and defenders switch zones, therefore there
are no set positions. Korfball is characterised by cooperative play and teamwork, as well as all round skill
development. Korfball is most notable for gender equality – whilst teams are mixed, players can only
defend players of the same gender.

In 2025, two stand out players from the U19 World Korfball Championship are Guillem Martin as the male
top scorer, and Anna Vago, as female top scorer, both scoring 24 goals and 20 goals respectively.
However, korfball is unique in the fact that it is entirely focused on team play, making it hard for one
player to be the ‘best’. In other team sports, such as football, individual players can stand out due to their
role in the team i.e., striker scoring all the goals, but due to the fact that players have to switch between
attack and defence, korfballers tend to contribute equally to the team.
If you’re looking for a new sport that emphasizes gender equality and strong teamwork, Korfball might be
the perfect fit for you.