New Delhi: Lars Balk knows a thing or two about playing club hockey. Having represented Utrecht-based SV Kampong – the second oldest hockey club in the Netherlands – for a decade, the mighty Dutch defender is adept switching from the national side to club almost every week, adapting to new teammates, coaches, tactics and strategies.
But the returning Hockey India League (HIL), starting December 28 in Rourkela, will be very different, reckons the 28-year-old. While Dutch clubs have international representation, it is largely European which won’t be the case at his club, UP Rudras, which has a much more cosmopolitan look.
“The biggest challenge for every team in the HIL will be to take the 24 players, who don’t know each other, and make one strong team. But I still believe with Paul van Ass, we have a coach who can do it best,” Balk said from the Netherlands.
Balk will be reunited with former India coach van Ass of the Netherlands, who led the Dutch women to gold at the Paris Olympics. He will also be joined by Dutch teammate Floris Wortelboer in the squad.
“I spoke with our head coach Paul, with my teammate Floris Wortelboer and have also had chats with (skipper) Hardik Singh and (England’s) Sam Ward. This is the first time I will be playing HIL and I’m really happy that the event is back. It was special to be picked up in the auction,” said Balk.
At ₹40 lakh, Balk was the most expensive overseas non drag-flicking defender sold at the auction in October. Known as the “vacuum cleaner” for his work at the back, Balk is one of the finest defenders in hockey today. His strength on the ball, defensive skills and ability to thwart attacks of the best strikers in the world make him the first pick in the 11 for any coach in the world.
For the national side, Balk helped the Netherlands win silver at the 2018 World Cup and bronze at the 2023 edition. But his moment of glory came this year when he was at the centre of Netherlands winning the men’s hockey gold at the Paris Olympics in August.
He was especially at his best in the final against Germany where he halted multiple attacks from Niklas Wellen, Christopher Ruhr and Thies Prinz to hand Holland their first Olympic gold since Sydney 2000. Balk also helped the Dutch win the EuroHockey Championship, the most competitive hockey tournament in the world, in 2021 and 2023.
At the club level, he helped Kampong win the Hoofdklasse – the elite division of hockey in the Netherlands in 2023-24 – making the club the third most successful after Bloemendaal and Amsterdam.
After playing non-stop hockey, Balk, who has 142 international caps, decided to take a break from the national team and will be making a comeback in the HIL.
He has also seen the Indian team progress from finishing last in the 2012 London Olympics to winning successive medals at the 2021 and 2024 Games. But, Balk said, there are areas still that can be bettered.
“The Indian players are all very technical and very agile. The steps they take, their footwork is unbelievable. But sometimes they miss being a structured team. I think they can still learn that part of the game. But in the last 6-7 years, they have taken steps in that direction. With their head coach, they have learned to play in structure much more than before,” added the Olympic champion.