Team sports in Tokyo: Several nominees for Utrecht medals

Utrecht Province Eighteen athletes will compete on the Utrecht team during the Olympic Games. Twelve of them are hockey players. We also count two soccer players, two handball players and two water polo players. In hockey in particular, both men and women are important candidates for the medal. But soccer players and handball players don’t stand a chance either. Water polo women have already shown that anything is possible.

women hockey

SCHC’s Kaia van Masaker started her last tournament as a major hockey player. The penalty corner specialist will stop after Tokyo, where she will meet teammates Zan de Ward, Lorian Lorenc and Malo Phoenix van Kampung. National team coach Alison Annan also selected Eva de Guede of Zeist and Josine Konings of Amersfoort who play for Amsterdam and Dean Bosch respectively.

Women’s hockey won the European title in Amsterdam last month. Five years ago in Rio, the orange won the silver medal after losing the final to Great Britain. Women’s hockey has only been Olympic since 1980. Of the ten Olympic hockey tournaments played since then, the Netherlands has won three.

In Tokyo, as usual, Germany and Argentina are important opponents of the Netherlands, where India, Ireland, South Africa, Great Britain and Germany meet in the group stage.
Women’s Hockey Program (Netherlands time)
Jul 24 13.45 Netherlands – India
July 26 03.00 Netherlands – Ireland
Jul 28 02.30 Netherlands vs South Africa
July 29 12.00 Netherlands – Great Britain
July 31 11.30 Netherlands vs Germany

First and second to the next round

men’s hockey

The men, with Kampung players Sander de Wine, Robert Kimbermann, Jonas de Geus, Lars Balck and Jeb Janssen, as well as Belthofener Thierry Brinkmann, also became European champions. It happened in the final against one of the main contenders for Olympic gold: Germany. Another country that will go strong in gold is Belgium, and of course Australia.

The Dutch men actually won the bronze medal at the 1936 Berlin Olympics, but it took until 1996 before they were crowned Olympic champions for the first time. This team included Jacques Brinkmann of Bilthoven, father of the current Olympie Thierry. Four years later in Sydney, the Netherlands won the gold medal again, and for the last time for now. In 2016 there was no men’s hockey medal at all.

Men’s hockey plays in the group stage against Belgium, South Africa, Canada, Great Britain and Germany.

Men’s hockey program (Netherlands time)
Jul 24 04.45 Netherlands – Belgium
Jul 25 14.15 Netherlands vs South Africa
27 Jul 13.45 Netherlands – Canada
Jul 28 05.15 Netherlands – Great Britain
Jul 30 13.45 Netherlands – Germany

First and second to the next round

women’s handball

Women’s handball hopes to win an Olympic medal for the first time in Tokyo, but the serious injury of Stefana Pullman and the absence of Yvette Broch made the task very difficult. Normally, the reigning world champion, with Leusden’s Laura van der Heyden and Bunschotense Angela Malestein, would be counted among the main medal candidates. But national team coach Emmanuel Mayunade seriously tempered expectations.

Five years ago in Rio, the Orange team reached the semi-finals, narrowly losing to France. In the bronze medal fight, the Netherlands had no chance against Norway.

Women’s handball program (Netherlands time)

No program announced yet

soccer women

Dutch women’s football wins the European Champions title and finished second in the last World Cup. With that in mind, the team with captain Sari van Veendal of Neugen and Islestein striker Shanice van de Sanden should be among the medal contenders.

However, the performance of orange lionesses has been somewhat choppy in recent months. In order to claim a medal, departing coach Sarina Wegmann’s team will have to banish this flop. The biggest gold contender in Tokyo is the world champion in the United States.

The Netherlands will meet Zambia, Brazil and China in the first round.

Women’s Football Program (Netherlands time)
July 21 13.00 Netherlands – Zambia
July 24 13.00 Netherlands – Brazil
July 27 13.00 Netherlands vs China

First and second to the next round

Women’s water polo

The orange water polo players medal will be an outright stunt. But in 2008 in Beijing, no one relied on it, and the team, including Utrecht Simon Kott in the ranks, managed to take the gold.

In the current Orange squad, we meet players from Utrecht: Dagmar Genee from UZSC and Nomi Stomphorst from Baarn, who plays for GZC Donk from Gouda.

Australia, Spain, South Africa and Canada are women’s water polo competitions in the first round.
Women’s water polo program (Netherlands time)
Jul 26 11.20 Netherlands vs Australia
Jul 28 08.30 Netherlands vs Spain
July 30 07.00 Netherlands – South Africa
August 1 08.30 Holland – Canada

First and second to the next round

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