The cabinet is spending several million euros to boost sports in the Netherlands with the ambition to make the country one of top 10 sporting nations in the world.

Some €1.5m will be spent on top level sports programmes – mainly targeting athletes attending the Olympic Games in Rio. A further €2m has been set aside to help top athletes financially and €6m has been allocated to research.

Sports minister Edith Schippers is also working on a strategy to help top athletes move into careers when they stop competing.

Schippers said in a briefing to MPs she keen to see top athletes do more to coach youngsters and motivate others to take up sport. ‘Top athletes can act as role models and make an important contribution to getting everyone moving,’ she said.

Later on Thursday parliament will discuss plans by the two ruling parties to funnel taxes raised when online gambling is licenced in the Netherlands back into sport.