Belgium traveled to the Tokyo Olympics as one of the favorites to win the men’s hockey tournament – that says a lot for a team ranked 13th in the world in 2010 and 11th in 2011, well below that. ‘Australia, Germany and the Netherlands.

Belgium’s journey to the top of the podium is a compelling story in many ways. But there is a collective will to their effort to win the gold medal at the Quadrennial Games.

Hockey has buried itself in the peat in Belgium and settled down. Everyone is encouraged to play. More people are watching. However, this was not the case in 2008, when for the first time in 32 years the Belgian hockey team competed in the Beijing Olympics. “I have to say it was pretty huge for the hockey world, but not for the rest of the country,” said midfielder Victor Wegnez, who was part of the Belgium squad that won gold at Tokyo. “Hockey is not famous in Belgium, there weren’t a lot of pictures on TV, but everyone in the hockey world knew the importance of reaching the Olympics.”

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This has been Belgium’s relationship with hockey over the past 10 years. It has become an institutional obsession, sown from top to bottom through the National Hockey Belgium federation, training camps and individuals. Now the wheels are turning, the production lines are thriving. From an early age, boys and girls are enrolled in the ‘BE-GOLD’ program, where they work on all aspects of becoming an athlete – technical, tactical, mental, physical and emotional. It gives players the opportunity to train while combining it with their studies.

“He invites you to follow and trust the process across all age groups (U14, U16, U18, U21, Red Lions). Before the final stage in the Red Lions team, you are invited to camps with the Red Lions. You get used to the team culture, the environment, the sacrifices, the lifestyle, everything that is needed to perform on the big stage, “says Belgian goalkeeper Vincent Vanasch.

Belgian goalkeeper Vincent Vanasch is elated after leading his team to Olympic gold following a nerve-racking penalty shootout. – Special arrangement

There is now an influx of talent from the bottom up. The current squad is a mix of youth and experience, with a backbone built around Vanasch, Thomas Briels, Arthur van Doren and Alexander Hendrickx. Vanasch is the first goalkeeper to win three consecutive FIH Goalkeeper of the Year awards (2017, ’18, ’19). He is also world and European champion (2018 and 2019) and silver medalist at Rio 2016.

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“We have to work harder than everyone else in a smart way. We wanted to improve in the long term. Of course, we wanted to win every tournament, but we had no experience to start. I see our course as a marathon on a mountain. We didn’t want to win just once like a little sprint. We want to win several like a 5-10-15-20 year old marathon, “said Vanasch.

“We said before the Olympic Games, we have a mission. We wanted to make Belgium dream and smile after a difficult year. We did it! A team, a spirit, a country.”