This season, Tantalus Men’s 1 is competing in the first division of the East Netherlands region. The twelve teams in the league are spread across a wide area, with opponents in places like Heerenveen, Zwolle, and Nijmegen. But two of the top four teams this year are practically neighbors: Tantalus and Achilles. On April 5, they will face each other for the second time this season, this time in Nuenen. “As a supporter, you can easily bike there,” says secretary Manuel Lobbezoo. His fellow board members also expect a large turnout, which is why Tantalus has set up a special April 5 committee as part of its anniversary committee.

Charlie Boverhof, a member of that committee, is full of praise for Men’s 1. “Last season, they became champions and were promoted after winning all but one of their games. They’re facing more competition now, but they’re still doing very well and are currently in fourth place. They can still become champions if they win all their remaining matches. In the away game against Achilles, they need to win by at least four points.”

Air horn

“The home game was absolute chaos,” Lobbezoo recalls. “On December 7, the stands were packed with both Tantalus supporters and Achilles fans. One of the visitors from Nuenen was even removed from the stands by the referee. He had assembled an air horn there—we still laugh about it. And the game itself was incredibly tense. We lost by just a few points, 86–89. It was decided in the final minutes.”

At the time of publication, Achilles has played sixteen games and won twelve, while Tantalus has played fifteen and won ten. The fact that Achilles includes many former Tantalus players (now TU/e alumni) gives the students extra motivation to win on April 5. “Coach Luuk van den Brakel reviews video footage of previous games with the players.”

Problem

“If we lose, that’s the end of it,” Lobbezoo expects. “But if we get promoted—and even if we remain in the first division—we’ll have to solve a serious problem. We’re running into limitations with the space around the basketball court. Right now, we play at the Student Sports Center with two courts side by side, and the baskets are attached to the wall. But the Dutch Basketball Federation requires space around the court for Promodivisie matches. That means we’d need to create a center court with new markings. We’d also need movable baskets or ones suspended from the ceiling. Those mobile baskets are extremely expensive—I’ve heard they can cost tens of thousands of euros.”

An alternative would be to play off campus, for example in the Achtste Barrier neighborhood or in Nuenen. “That would be a real shame, because it could divide the association. Right now, we’re all in the same hall on game days.”

Pub golf

But that problem can wait. First, the April 5 committee wants to turn the derby into an unforgettable event. “We’re organizing a pub golf on the way to Achilles,” Boverhof says.

During the pub golf, supporters will cycle to Nuenen, stopping at various ‘holes’ along the route where they take on challenges in small teams. “Often, the challenges are drinking games where the number of sips is counted. For those who don’t drink, there are non-alcoholic options or soft drinks. That way, we play our own game first before watching one—and everyone gets into the right spirit.”

The match between Achilles 1 and Tantalus 1 starts on Sunday, April 5 at 6:00 p.m., at Hoge Brake 3 in Nuenen.

This article was translated using AI-assisted tools and reviewed by an editor.