Field hockey

Field hockey is a very common sport in the Netherlands (6th on the list of most popular sports). The sport is practiced by young as well as old. A lot of children start playing hockey at a really young age. The Dutch teams are also one of the best field hockey teams in the world. Especially the women’s team is doing very well. They have won three gold medals at the Olympic Games and eight gold medals at the European Championship. They also won the World Cup eight times. This makes field hockey not only a popular sport to play, but it’s also very interesting to watch. Field hockey is also one of the few sports in the Netherlands where the women’s team is as popular as, or maybe even more popular as the men’s team.

On this photo you can see the start of the match of the Dutch men’s team against that of New Zealand. It is an important game because every team must win enough matches to qualify for the World Cup. You see a long line of men holding each other. This provides an intense feeling of solidarity. Everybody has a feeling that they’re part of the team. The players and the supporters are all singing the national anthem before the match starts. This picture is taken from a pretty high distance, giving you a nice overview of the field and the sport stands around it. You can see the many supporters in the stands who want to encourage their country. They are all calling for their favourite players and cheering the team on, which does not only create an exciting atmosphere, but also gives the players some extra confidence, knowing that everyone there believes in them.