Sport association Dorans has been granted access to the NSSR (the Nijmegen Student Sports Council). It is the first Dutch student game association that has become a member of a sport council. ‘We also have training nights.’

Gaming is really a sport. Dorans has officially been a member of the NSSR for a week now, since the members of the council voted in favour of the membership. The sport associations that were against it at first (‘How can you be a sport association without sport activities?’) seem to have changed their minds: twenty-eight members of the NSSR voted in favour of Dorans’ membership, and only two voted against it.

Arnoud Tijink, Dorans’ cofounder, is happy with the result. ‘The NSSR can help us with organisation and promotion work. Besides, it is clear now that we are not just an association for people who want to chill, but a sport association that has training nights.’ During these training nights, student teams play a game of League of Legends (a strategic online computer game), while being coached by pro’s. After three hours of intensive training, the students are usually exhausted, so they go and have a beer in the sport cafe. ‘We are usually the biggest group there, of around twenty people. Nobody seems to think we don’t belong there.’

Dorans is doing well. The association recently moved into bigger rooms with a better internet connection, and the number of members has increased to 200. With twelve girls, the divide between men and women is still a bit off. Now that Dorans is a member of the NSSR, the gamers can compensate for this with special events. Together with pole dance association Lasya, plans are being made for a pole dance workshop for Dorans boys. In return, the Lasya girls are welcome for a game workshop. / Maarten van Gestel