Hundreds of Belgian fans descended on The Hague on Thursday to support the Red Lions and the Red Panthers in their World Cup efforts. The visit coincided with Belgium Day at the Hockey Park. The fans, who were invited by the Belgian hockey association, watched the Red Lions take on the Australian men and some were at the stadium early enough to catch the Red Panthers against the Hockeyroos in the first match of the day. In between games, they enjoyed a special lunch at the Belgian Tribe House in The Hague.
Supporting the squad
“We and the Belgian hockey association deliberately chose to come en masse to The Hague on the same day and make a real party of it,”says Alexandre de Chaffoy of Verhulst Events, one of the KBHB’s official partners. De Chaffoy is a former international with 211 caps to his name.
“Hockey is becoming increasingly popular in Belgium,” he says. “There has been a tremendous evolution since the time I was active. We are lucky in that both teams play at a high level so they generate a lot of media attention.”
The successful European championships in Boom near Antwerp last year added to the sport’s popularity. “In Boom, we felt the need to get out and support the team. And now people want to join events like the one we have organised today. We’ve actually got four ministers from Flanders and Wallony in the group.”
Impressive
“If you look at Europe as a whole, the level of hockey has improved a lot, particularly if you compare it to other sports,” he says. “In Belgium our challenge is to improve the club infrastructure so we can incorporate the growth in membership. Because more members mean more options.”
De Chaffoy is impressed by the ambiance at the Rabobank Hockey World Cup 2014. “It is big and impressive! I like the way the hockey pitches are central but that there is a lot more to do as well.”
And how does this former international see the chances of the Belgian teams? “I think the men play well enough to reach the semi-finals but you can’t predict what will happen after that,” he says.