The gatekeepers of the tournament

9 June 2024

“All good, all good, all good…” sounds at the entrance. The gatekeepers of the tournament, that’s how you could call them, check if the visitors have their wristbands (tickets) on. “All good,” Pelle Walterbos is completely in his role. With a smile on his face, he greets and checks the people. It’s mainly a ‘coming’ but also a ‘going’ at the entrance of the Marveld Tournament.

Meanwhile, it’s half past two, but new visitors are still coming in. First, they buy a ticket at the cash register and then they are helped by Noor Smeets and Ramon Krabben to put on the wristband.

Pelle, Noor, and Ramon are part of the group ‘side activities’. Today, they take turns standing at the entrance for half an hour. “Ruben te Woerd and Sven Meekes make the schedule for the entire day for the group ‘side activities’, either at the cash register or at the Arena,” says Pelle. “Yesterday, it was still shifts of three quarters of an hour, today it’s half an hour.”

The volunteers at the entrance have, of course, also received a number of instructions. Generally, they stand ‘two by two’, one side must be kept free for disabled people. And, of course, making sure everyone actually has a wristband on. Today, the color of the wristband is a kind of pink, but since they are now completely out, the yellow wristbands are being used again. A good sign. And by now, the half-hour for Pelle, Noor, and Ramon is up, they are relieved by the next gatekeepers… “All good!”