Back house in Rotterdam, Thijs van Dam’s trophy cupboard boasts of a number of championship trophies and gold medals starting from the Olympic Games to the World Cup. The handiest factor is they do not belong to him.
Van Dam’s female friend and live-in spouse Pien Sanders performs for the Dutch nationwide girls’s group – essentially the most a success outfit within the historical past of the game – and has received the entirety there may be to win.
The 24-year-old received the Olympic gold medal in Tokyo 2020 earlier than clinching the World Cup gold closing 12 months in Amstelveen and Terrassa. Sanders could also be a two-time winner (2017, 2021) of the extraordinarily aggressive EuroHockey Nations Championship, the World League (2016–17) and likewise the 2018 Champions Trophy.
In reality, the one silver medal placing within the cupboard belongs to van Dam which he received on the 2018 World Cup right here when Netherlands misplaced the general in a shootout to Belgium.
“She has received the entirety – from the Olympic gold medal and to gold on the World Cup. Sometimes I see them and simply suppose f*** (laughs),” says the 26-year-old. “It is time for me to additionally get the gold medal. I additionally need to win them.”
With a a success participant as a spouse, van Dam does not have to seem in different places for inspiration. “We discuss hockey so much whether or not we’re at house or touring to play fits. She at all times conjures up me. There is a large distinction between the ladies’s and males’s hockey group within the Netherlands.”
The Dutch girls’s hockey group is essentially the most a success outfit within the recreation, having received 4 Olympic gold medals and an out of this world 9 World Cups, together with the closing 3.
The Netherlands males’s group suffered a painful loss within the 2018 World Cup right here after they misplaced 2–3 to Belgium within the consequences following a zero–0 lead to legislation time. Van Dam, who used to be awarded the Young Player of the Tournament then, desires to make amends and is raring to steer his group to its 3rd consecutive last and primary name since Utrecht 1998.
“The shootout closing time used to be in point of fact shut. It used to be a large sadness. You play for the gold medal. If you notice our historical past, you notice handiest gold medals in order that used to be a in point of fact giant sadness. This time we’re right here for revenge. We are enjoying for gold,” mentioned van Dam.
It can be a repeat of closing version’s last on Friday when the Netherlands face Belgium within the semi-final on the Kalinga Stadium right here. The different semi-final can be performed between Australia and Germany.
“We have the risk to win. In the closing Pro League, we confirmed the sector that we will win towards each and every group but additionally that we will lose to each and every group. At the instant Australia and Belgium are the 2 favourites. They have a large number of enjoy. They have performed for a in point of fact very long time in combination but when we play neatly, we will beat them. We must be in point of fact excellent. It is imaginable,” mentioned van Dam.
This could also be van Dam’s 5th consult with to India with the primary one being the 2016 Junior World Cup in Lucknow. After that he has come to India for the World League, World Cup and Pro League.