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August 1, 2010
At the PC handballers play for money and honour
The Koninklijke Permanente Commissie (Royal Permanent Committee) has altered the prize-package that can be won at the most famous handball-contest of the year, the PC. After studying prize-giving ceremonies during the long history of the event closely, the Committee has concluded that it is justified to return to the originally awarded prizes: amounts of money and marks of honour.
At the first PC-tournament (in 1854) the prize-winning partoer (a team of three players) won 36 guilders. A sum of 9 guilders was awarded to the team that lost the final. Considering the fact that a worker earned approximately 10 guilders a week in those days, a PC-victor brought home a considerable sum! As a mark of honour the winners received (from 1854 onward) a floral wreath. Such a symbol of victory was quite new at that time.
So the prize-winning teams of the first PC-contest won money. In the course of the years to follow things changed. Research gives us an impression:
PC-prizes
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Money (appr. 30 times)
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Gouden Tientjes (gold coins, appr. 85 times)
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Objects made of gold or silver (spoons, tobacco-boxes, watches, appr. 30 times)
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Gift tokens (appr. 3 times)
During the early PC-years there were considerable differences between first and second prizes. Nowadays the value of those is in accordance to the rules of the KNKB (Royal Dutch Handball Association).
Since the beginning in 1854 the number of prizes has also been changed:
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To do justice to its ideology the Royal Permanent Committee has decided to return to the origine of the prize package. From this year’s contest on a first prize-winning team gains 4500 Euros, for second and third places amounts of 3000 and 1500 Euros are available. As marks of honour the three PC-victors will get a golden ten-coin and a silver medal, awarded by the authorities of Friesland.
So: it is all about money and honour. Which of these two will appear to be most important is hard to tell. It is a unity, not to be divided.
In 1883 Her Majesty’s Governor in the Province of Friesland, Baron van Harinxma thoe Slooten, gave the Committee a Silver Ball. It still is the most wanted prize for all those who compete on the fifth Wednesday after June 30 (the official PC-day). The Silver Ball emphasizes honour and fame that come with a PC-victory. |