Dutch judo legend Anton Geesink has died in hospital in his home town of Utrecht aged 76. He had been ill for a number of weeks.

Geesink became Olympic judo champion in 1964, beating the Japanese favourite for the title, Akio Kaminaga. His Olympic victory came as a great shock to the Japanese, but he was revered there as a great sporting hero into his old age.

Stickler
After his sporting career came to an end, the heavyweight worked as an administrator in the judo world, becoming a member of the International Olympic Committee in 1987. As an IOC member, he was often embroiled in disputes with the Dutch sporting establishment, gaining a reputation for being a stickler for the rules. He even took a member of the Dutch Olympic Committee to court for defamation of character.

Tributes
Many figures from the Dutch world of sport have been paying tribute to the former champion. Dutch Crown Prince Willem-Alexander, a member of the IOC, has also paid his respects. “Anton Geesink was a never-to-be-forgotten sporting great,” he said on Friday evening. “He made a very major contribution to both the Dutch and the international sporting movement, first as an active sportsman and then as an administrator.”