Belgium men's national field hockey team

Updated on Dec 16, 2023

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Nickname Red Lions Captain John-John Dohmen Location Belgium		Assistant coach Philippe Goldberg Coach Shane McLeod FIH ranking 5

Association Royal Belgian Hockey Association Confederation European Hockey Federation

Belgian national hockey team red lions physical screening by topsportslab

The Belgium national field hockey team (nicknamed the Red Lions) represents Belgium in the international field hockey competitions. As of July 2014, they are coached by Shane McLeod, who succeeded the Dutch trainer Jeroen Delmee.

Their greatest achievements in international tournaments to date are reaching six semifinals at the EuroHockey Nations Championship since 1995, including a third place in 2007 and runners-up in 2013, winning the Champions Challenge in 2011, the silver medal at the 2016 Summer Olympics, the bronze medal at the 1920 Summer Olympics and a silver medal at the 2014–15 Hockey World League.

History

Belgium first played hockey in 1902 and their first club was formed two years later. In 1907, several clubs established the Belgian Hockey Association. Belgium played its first international match against Germany, and was one of the founding members of the International Hockey Federation (FIH).

Between 1920 and 1978, Belgium appeared in two of the first three World Cups and in eleven out of thirteen Summer Olympics. After the successful early years (before the 1950s) with three times being among the best five at the Summer Olympics, it would last six decades before Belgium reached the international field hockey top again from the 1990s on.

The team was coached by Adam Commens until the end of 2010 before being replaced by Colin Batch as Adam Commens had been appointed coach of the Australian women's national team. Commens has been coach of Belgium's national men's team since 2007, and led them to their first Olympics appearance in 32 years when the team competed in Beijing in 2008. He will begin his role with the Hockeyroos early 2011. After the 2007 Champions Challenge, hosted in their own country, they ended at the last (sixth) place. This prompted coach Gilles Bonnet and his assistant-coach Pascal Kina to be replaced by Adam Commens and assistant Murray Richards. From 2012 on Marc Lammers trained the Belgian squad with assistants Jeroen Delmee and Philippe Goldberg. After Lammers resigned in July 2014, Delmee became his successor.

At the 2016 Summer Olympic Games Rio de Janeiro, the Belgian Hockey Team was able to achieve the silver medal, second time that Belgium is able to win an Olympic Medal (1920 Bronze in Antwerp). Additionally, the Under 21 National Team made it to the final match of the FIH Junior World Cup in 2016 but they lost against India by 2 to 1. Still, this proves the success and hard work of the whole structure of hockey in Belgium.

Honours

Summer Olympics

Second place 02 !: 2016 Third place 03 !: 1920

European Championship

Runners-up: 2013 Third place: 2007

Champions Challenge

Winners: 2011 Third place: 2005