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Permanente Commissie (The Netherlands)

Royal Dutch Kaats Association (KNKB)

Last modified: 2014-06-28 by andrew weeks
Keywords: pc | kaatsen | knkb |
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permanente commissie der franeker kaatspartij (NL) image from this site.

See also:

Koninklijke permanente commissie der franeker kaatspartij

"Each year at the 5th Wednesday after the 30th of June the great handball match (the 'Franeker Kaatspartij') is held in Franeker (The Netherlands). In the match
compete the 48 best male handball players; 16 teams consisting of 3 players. Of the more than 600 matches that are organized under the auspices of the Royal Dutch Handball Association (KNKB), "the PC", as this match is called, is the most appealing one. Winning the PC is for a handball player the highest achievement. From the winning team the best player is proclaimed as 'The King of the PC' (Kening fan 'e PC); after this the president of the PC will put on him the old king's ball (since 1883).

The Franeker Kaatspartij, possibly 400 years old, was known as the 'balverkaatsersdag' for a long time. Only in approximately 1866 the match was renamed into "PC", at first in the language of the people. This new name came into being after the Permanent Committee (abbreviated 'PC') took on the organization and regulation of the match when the decline occurred. The PC is not only the oldest yearly match in The Netherlands, but is also in worldwide perspective an event of a very high age.

Handball used to be the national sport in the Netherlands until approximately 1800. Hereafter it went downhill quickly, nationwide but also the ancient Franeker Kaatspartij. At the all-time low, in 1853, handball-enthusiasts established the Permanent Committee to save both the sport of handball and the yearly match. This turned out well and the Franeker Kaatspartij became a feast day again. In the year 2003, at its 150th anniversary, the Committee was warranted the designation 'Royal' by Her Majesty the Queen."
Source: PC-website.
Valentin Poposki, 2 May 2006


The PC's arms

The PC's arms image from this site.

Royal Dutch Kaats Association (KNKB)

[Royal Dutch Kaats Association (KNKB)] image by Jarig Bakker, 23 Jun 2007

It appears that there is also a "Kaatsclub Amsterdam", which celebrated its first century in 2002. On that occasion it received from the KNKB a flag, which is presented to any 100-year old kaatsclub: a horizontally 4-striped flag of yellow and blue; in the center a shield per bend sinister gules and argent, each with 3 pennies countercharged, 2,1; 1,2.
The YBYB colours refer to the flag of the city of Franeker/Frentsjer.
Source: foto at the club's website.
The KNKB-crest at the KNKB-website.
Jarig Bakker, 23 Jun 2007