LONDON: The World Cup, which starts on Saturday, promises to be a spectacle of unprecedented scale.
For Belgian hockey icon Arthur van Doren, the August 15-30 tournament is not just a quest for global supremacy, but a fascinating tactical battleground where traditional powerhouses and rising forces will collide.
As teams prepare for the quadrennial showpiece, the defensive maestro has his eyes firmly set on competitors that could disrupt the established order, chief among them is the Indian hockey team.
For van Doren, India remains one of the most enigmatic and dangerous squads. While they possess the firepower and experience to dismantle any opposition, their ultimate success will hinge on one critical factor: consistency.
“India is always a team to be very cautious about,” van Doren, 31, told HT. “It’s a team that can win literally from everybody. One of the most important things is consistency. That’s something we struggle with sometimes because we are a little bit of a new team, and that same thing can be said about India.”
The Harmanpreet Singh-led India has a well-documented reputation for rising to the occasion in tournaments of consequence. But their journey through the long Pro League season has historically showcased fluctuating periods of form.
Tokyo Olympics gold medallist van Doren acknowledges this duality, noting that while the Pro League can yield deceiving results due to teams being at different stages of their seasonal development, the sheer quality within the Indian ranks simply cannot be ignored.
“I give them a lot of chances (at the World Cup). They’ve got a lot of quality, a lot of experience, if you look at their squad. But if you want to win a tournament that goes on for a little bit of a longer period and you want to get a result, consistency is key. But in a World Cup, in a period where they catch fire for 4-5 games in a row, India will always be a very difficult competitor,” said the Belgian, who is a two-time FIH Player of the Year.
Predicting which teams will navigate their way to the semis, the ace defender points to the fierce competitiveness of the modern game. At the top of his list, however, is a familiar rival.
“Holland will always be a fierce competitor,” says van Doren, who is also the skipper of Vedanta Kalinga Lancers in the Hockey India League (HIL). “They’ve shown a lot of discipline, a lot of structure, and they’ve been playing very well. For me, the big favourites once again are the Olympic champions. They probably top the list. Next are teams that always perform well in big tournaments like Australia.”
Beyond the Dutch and Australians, van Doren naturally hopes world No.1 Belgium can “creep up into those top four spots”. The 2018 World Cup winner, when he was also named Player of the Tournament, views the remainder of the field as incredibly tightly packed, with a chasing group consisting of India, Argentina, England, and Germany all capable of mounting a serious title charge.
Home advantage?
For hosts Belgium, the World Cup represents a deeply emotional and transitional juncture. Playing a global tournament on home soil is a rare privilege, but it also coincides with the closing chapter of Belgium’s revered golden generation, the legendary core that delivered Olympic silver and gold in Rio and Tokyo along with the 2018 World Cup crown and a runners-up spot in 2023.
“That generation has come to an end,” van Doren admits candidly. “You’ve seen in recent times that we have a lot of new faces, youngsters, and therefore a lot of eagerness to create their own history. That’s what you need as a collective and as a country.”
This fresh faced Belgian squad, which has already secured a ticket to the Los Angeles Olympics following their Pro League exploits, is brimming with youthful exuberance. With most of the 20-man roster experiencing a World Cup for the first time, van Doren is eager to see how this newly formed collective handles the immense pressure of a home tournament.
Their path will not be entirely straightforward. Belgium have been drawn with holders Germany, France, and Malaysia. While van Doren relishes the opportunity to play high-quality matches early on to prepare for the knockouts, he admits a slight disappointment at the European-heavy nature of the draw, expressing a desire to test themselves against different styles and continents.
But van Doren assures one thing. Tactically, fans can expect a dynamic spectacle as the Belgian great anticipates a resurgence of high-paced, high-pressing hockey, balanced by periods of highly structured, low-zone defensive play. “Let’s hope to see a lot of attacking flair, individual skills, and some nice games for the crowd to enjoy,” he concluded.
