The Oranje Dames won the FIH Pro League on Monday evening . But there was a player on the field who won not one, but two prizes on the same evening. Xan de Waard (27) was named the best player of the Tulip Hoofdklasse Ladies in the warm-up of the game won against Germany.
And she didn’t see that coming at all. With her gaze on Orange, she suddenly had to report to the public entertainer. All to loud applause from the audience. Before she knew it, she was presented with a bunch of flowers and a trophy by record international Teun de Nooijer. De Waard won the election with a street length ahead of the competition. And she let that sink in a bit overwhelmed on Monday night.
‘It is an honour’, the Orange captain responds to her honorary title, immediately after the match. “But if I’m honest, I would rather have taken the national title with SCHC.” A lasting blemish that cannot make up for the third Pro League title either. A scar that will be visible for a while.
Although the Orange may again call itself Pro League champions on Monday evening and Queen’s We are the Champions echoed through the stadium boxes, no great party was hosted or celebrated. But there was certainly happiness. “We really wanted to win it,” the captain continues in a good mood. “You want to take every prize. I’m glad the cup is back. We were disappointed that it belonged to the Argentines for a while.
‘Think Germany is better than Belgium’
Orange had to do its best for it. At least, much more than on Friday evening, when the team faced the Germans for the first time and recorded an impressive 5-0 victory. Nevertheless, national coach Paul van Ass was not dissatisfied. ‘It was a good match. It was really a competition , ‘ he said. The Orange was tested and Van Ass was very happy with that. “It was sometimes too easy for us so far. That was different today. Germany had done its homework well. We’re not used to this.’
So valuable, especially with a view to August. When the Orange squad plays the European championship in Mönchengladbach in about seven weeks. “Resistance is important. We want to go up. My team really had to work today. Germany will soon be a competitor at the European Championship. I think they are stronger than the Belgians.’
First prize for Van Ass
The real prizes this year will not be distributed until August, which does not alter the fact that the Pro League victory is the first title for the national coach himself. “I’m glad we won it. We have not always played with the strongest team, so this is a big compliment to the whole group. We take this prize with 26 of us. We can be quite proud of that.’
But the team doesn’t have much time to think about that. On Tuesday evening, the Dutch will face New Zealand, the final piece of the four-part series in the Wagener Stadium. From Saturday, the Netherlands will close the Pro League, in Antwerp against Belgium. ‘I’m looking forward to that,’ says De Waard. ‘I am very curious how Belgium has developed.’
And after that? Then the Orange captain boards the plane to Suriname with her friend and international Terrance Pieters. No hockey for two weeks. ‘After that we will go full towards the European Championship. Get super fit. Run shuttles and make something really beautiful together.’ Together with Oranje, or also together with Terrance? The Worth has to laugh. “We’re going to run those shuttles together. I would also like to go to the European Championships together with Ter . That is the intention.’
by Hockey.nl
