Culture & the City
The City That First Lit the Olympic Flame Is Now Home to the Amsterdam Flames
By Subas Humagain
The Marathon Tower at Amsterdam's Olympic Stadium holds a unique place in global sporting history. It was during the 1928 Olympic Games that the world witnessed its first Olympic flame, a symbol that remains relevant to Olympism to this day. Nearly a century ago, the symbolic flame burned from the cauldron at the tower's summit. It was the first time such a flame had been lit at the modern Olympic Games.
The idea was simple but went on to become a powerful representation of the world's biggest sporting event. The flame, lit on the opening day, is kept burning throughout the Games. Back then, it was used to mark the location of the Olympic Stadium and make it visible from across the city. The tradition was developed further at the 1936 Berlin Games, when the Olympic torch relay was introduced.
Designed by Dutch architect Jan Wils, the Olympic Stadium and its Marathon Tower represented a new era for sport in Amsterdam. The tower was named after the marathon event, with the runners entering the stadium through the opening beneath it. At the top, the flame stood as a beacon of competition, unity and sporting ambition.
Nearly a century later, it still stands tall as one of Amsterdam's most important contributions to global sporting culture. Olympic cauldrons have since been lit in cities around the world, often capturing global attention during the opening ceremony.
Now, the flame that illuminated Olympism is returning to the city with the aim of brightening another sport watched around the world. Amsterdam Flames aim to bring together leading international cricketers, local Dutch stars and emerging European talent. The ETPL aims to create a new stage for the sport, not only in the Netherlands but across the continent.
Cricket has existed in Amsterdam for more than 150 years. Clubs across the city have carried the game through different periods, even as some disappeared, merged or moved elsewhere. The sport has always had a place here, but it has rarely been presented with the scale, visibility and international reach that the ETPL promises to provide.
Amsterdam Flames will work hand in hand with the ETPL to help fulfil that ambition and establish the city as a fitting home for it. Amsterdam is an international city shaped by people, cultures and ideas arriving from across the world. Cricket shares that same character. The game may carry deep traditions, but its future in Europe will be built by diverse communities coming together around a shared team.
The name Amsterdam Flames therefore carries a meaning that extends beyond branding. A flame represents energy, continuity and the beginning of something new. In this city, it also carries a genuine historical connection.
In 1928, Amsterdam lit a flame that became part of sporting history. In 2026, we will begin our journey as the Amsterdam Flames with the same ambition to create something capable of lasting far beyond its beginning.
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