The IKF said Marteijn passed away at his home in The Netherlands.

Marteijn began work as the chairman of his local korfball club in the 1940s.

He held roles as chairman of both the Zeeland Korfball Association and KNKV South-West District, as well as serving as President of the Zeeland Sports Council.

Marteijn became an Executive Committee member of the Royal Dutch Korfball Association (KNKV) and held the same role at the Netherlands Sports Federation, the predecessor to the NOC*NSF.

At international level, Marteijn worked as the IKF secretary general from 1984 until 1997.

The IKF said Marteijn and then-President Bob de Die were instrumental in getting korfball included in the programme for the World Games in 1984, as well as securing International Olympic Committee recognition in 1993.

Marteijn was awarded honorary membership of the IKF in 1997 after stepping down as secretary general.

"The international korfball community will remember Ton Marteijn as an extremely committed developer of the sport of korfball across the globe, with a very clear and often uncompromising view on the direction the development of our sport would need to take," the IKF said.

"Korfball globally would be different if it were not for the many contributions that Ton Marteijn has made.

"The IKF wishes his relatives strength in dealing with this loss."

The IKF also highlighted that Marteijn had served as a referee at the elite level in the Netherlands and internationally.

Marteijn led refereeing courses in the United States and in Asia during his career and oversaw the international korfball summer course at Papendal in The Netherlands.