U.S. ambassador hands out oliebollen in The Hague after losing World Cup bet
Commuters traveling near Den Haag Centraal on Wednesday were able to get their hands on free oliebollen courtesy of the new American ambassador to the Netherlands. Shefali Razdan Duggal had placed a bet with André Haspels, the Dutch ambassador to the United States, on the World Cup Round of 16 match between the two countries.
The Dutch victory meant Razdan Duggal, dressed in an orange hairband and jacket, had to pass out the Dutch treats in front of The Hague’s central station. She did this while her colleagues held up a sign with the flags of the two countries, a football, and the text, “USA lost the World Cup bet,” followed by, “Free oliebollen!”
Dutch Foreign Affairs Minister Wopke Hoekstra was among Razdan Duggal’s first customers. He thanked her for being a good sport, and took his oliebol covered in powdered sugar on an orange napkin.
The Netherlands won 3-1 on Saturday afternoon. Had the United States been victorious, Haspels would have handed out doughnuts at Dupont Circle in Washington D.C. After the match ended, Razdan Duggal wrote on Twitter, “Congratulations on a well-played victory! A bet is a bet and you will see me soon at The Hague Central with those delicious dumplings.”
Before the match, U.S. President Joe Biden shared a video on social media where he received a football from men’s football captain Tyler Adams. He then said, “It’s called ‘soccer!’ Go USA!”
After the match, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte responded, saying, “Sorry Joe,” with a wink. “Football won.”
Biden then said, “Strictly speaking, shouldn’t it be ‘voetbal’?” The two countries’ women’s teams will face each other again next year during the group stage of the World Cup in New Zealand.
