The 2026 summer of sport | ‘We celebrate being queer by playing handball together’
It is summer, which means the season of major sporting events is once again in full swing. UvA students are taking part in many of them too. What is at stake? That is the focus of Folia’s six-part series The 2026 Summer of Sport. This week: Marinde van Dijk (24) is participating in the Euro-Handball Pride Championship with a queer handball team.
You’re playing for the FLINTA team – what does that mean?
“There is a men’s team and a FLINTA team – which stands for female, lesbian, intersex, non-binary, transgender and agender. This is the first year that the Netherlands has had more than just a men’s team. It is a mix of all sexualities. It is great fun.”
“I play handball at US, the student sports club, and one of the coaches invited me to join. Some of the girls already know each other, but there are a few new ones too. My girlfriend is also in this team.”
Sport: Handball
Course: Master’s in Computational Science
Has been playing handball since: the age of five
Taking part in: the Euro-Handball Pride Championship on 29 and 30 July as part of EuroPride in Amsterdam
What is it like being on the same team as your girlfriend?
“It is great! We really share the same hobby, and it is great to be able to do it together. Being part of a team is the best thing ever because you are all working towards a common goal. You are like a family. I find exercising on my own really boring, I am definitely more of a team player.”
What is at stake for the team?
“We are taking part in the European Queer Handball Championship, which is being held in Amsterdam because EuroPride is taking place here this year too. This tournament is mainly about having a good time. There is also a party being organised and we are going to have a drink with all the teams together. It is more about creating a safe space for everyone to play sport than it is about winning.”
But, are you going to win?
“I am quite confident about that. I think we have got a really great team and stand a good chance. It does not matter what level you are at, as long as you have got the right mindset. We also let everyone play, which is what makes it such a great team. We are definitely going to have a brilliant time together. Winning is not the main thing, but it would, of course, be amazing if we do.”
You have played professional handball for a long time. What is it like to play in a team with players of all levels now?
“After playing on such a high level for so long, it was not fun for me anymore. When you play professionally, you use a sort of glue on the ball, which allows you to play harder and faster. Now we do it without that glue, so I am not playing nearly as well. But I am finally enjoying it again.”
Where do you play on the court?
“In handball, you play seven against seven, including the goalkeeper. You defend and attack as a team. In front of the goal, there is a circle where only the goalkeeper is allowed to stand. As a player, you have to get as close as possible to that circle and shoot. So all the attackers stand around the circle. Then there is one player standing on the circle who tries to clear the way for the attackers. That is me. I am a bit of a disruptor.”
What makes sport such an important part of Pride?
“Sport is very unifying. I had absolutely no idea this existed last year, but I think it is a brilliant idea to combine a week like Pride with sport. Lots of people cannot be themselves within their own sport and therefore cannot enjoy it to the full. Celebrating being queer through sport is a really lovely feeling.”
“We have also got new outfits, in keeping with the theme. An orange shirt with a rainbow on it. We are a proper Pride team.”
Have you felt that unsafe atmosphere yourself?
“As a queer woman in Amsterdam, I have been in a very privileged position. Things are very well organised here, and I have never experienced those problems myself. In handball, too, there are generally already a lot of queer people.”
“For men, in a lot of sports – including handball, I think – being gay is not yet accepted. That is why this is such an important tournament for the men’s team. They told me that, because of this, they have finally rediscovered their enjoyment of the sport.”
Do you share the feeling that Pride is not activist enough anymore?
“I do agree with that. Many people who come to Pride see it as a sort of King’s Day and do not realise that it is a protest and is still necessary. But I also believe that it is simply very important to celebrate it. I do not want to say that it does not belong to us anymore; it is still a moment that is celebrated on a grand scale and revolves around queer love. In fact, it is good that there are also people there who might not normally come into contact with it.”
