Sports minister Edith Schippers is to invest a further €12.5m a year into top level sport in the Netherlands in an effort to boost the performance of Dutch athletes ahead of the Tokyo Olympics in 2020.

The Netherlands ended in 11th place at the recent Olympics in Brazil, but Schippers hopes the extra cash will propel the Dutch team into the top 10.

The money will be spent on trainers and athletes and on organising a number of high-profile sports events in the next couple of years.

Next year, the European hockey championships, the European women’s football championships and the World Cup short track speed skating take place in the Netherlands. In 2018, the world allround speed skating event and world cup indoor cycling are among the international events which the Netherlands is hosting.

Some 450 Olympic and Paralympic athletes will also be eligible for more financial support, allowing them to focus on their support rather than on education.