There is growing pressure on the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) to look into the sport’s toxic coaching culture, with the Dutch national governing body calling for them to address the issue “as soon as possible”.

In the last fortnight there has been a deluge of emotional and physical abuse allegations made by gymnasts around the world, including Great Britain, Holland, Australia and Ireland. UK Sport and Sport England have since co-commissioned an independent review into the reports against British Gymnastics, while similar investigations are also happening in Switzerland and Holland.

Alongside their independent investigation, the Royal Dutch Gymnastics Union (KNGU) also published an open letter to the FIG. It described the negative sporting culture portrayed in Netflix documentary Athlete A as “not isolated” to US gymnastics, but as present in their own country and “a risk for the entire world of gymnastics”.

In a letter address to FIG secretary general Nicolas Buompane, the KNGU implored him to help foster change: “We want to use the global discussion that has arisen to enter into a dialogue with the FIG and other federations […] about the needs to address this challenge at an international level, systematically and culturally. We believe that it is a shared duty to our gymnasts to act on this matter, both at present and in the future.

“We kindly propose that the FIG organizes an international dialogue through a symposium with the international federations given the urgency of this matter about a safe sports environment worldwide at this moment… The FIG could possibly organize this as soon as possible to maintain the momentum.”

The FIG told the Telegraph Sport that it “welcomes” the Dutch proposal, and highlighted their safeguarding unit and Gymnastics Ethics Foundation, which was set up to provide a safe mechanism for reporting abuse of any kind.

“The FIG welcomes any idea or proposal from any of its national federations, especially when it is related to sharing good practice regarding athletes’ safety and welfare,” the statement read. “The FIG is already working in several fields in order to raise awareness on what is and is not tolerable in coaching practices, and in this way, to contribute step by step to fostering a culture of respect.”