Mink van der Weerden, a former defender for the Netherlands, competed in 191 international games and scored 100 goals.
In 2010 at the ABN AMRO FIH Champions Trophy, when he also made his senior international debut against Spain, he led the competition in goals scored. The drag-flicker progressed up the ranks and became an essential element of the team setup.
At the 2014 Men’s World Cup in Hague, The Netherlands, where his team came in second and lost to Australia in the Final, Mink represented his nation.
His team once again won the Silver medal at the 2018 Men’s World Cup in Bhubaneswar, India, losing to Belgium in the Final, and he again played a significant role in that tournament.
Van der Weerden’s favorite World Cup memories, despite the fact that he was unable to win the Gold medal for the second time in a row, were from the 2018 tournament when he played India in the Quarterfinal.
“For us, the event was a huge success. The setting as a whole was amazing. Being able to play India in the quarterfinals was awesome. It was quite noisy outside. They were the most unique conditions I’ve ever experienced while playing a game “Mink van der Weerden was quoted as saying by Hockey India.
The ex-international for the Netherlands also recounted the memorable moment when he scored India’s second goal from a penalty corner to set up a dramatic victory for his team.
“When playing India in the 2018 quarterfinal, a particular moment stood out for me. When we scored our second goal to go ahead, that was the turning point “In his memory.
“On that particular day, there was a sizable crowd, and the home crowd was raucously supporting India. However, everyone abruptly became silent as soon as we scored. It was a very peculiar time.
“In terms of outcomes, it was incredibly wonderful for us. A particularly memorable occasion for me was when I was performing in such a large stadium and everyone suddenly became silent “said van der Weerden.
The next match was another exciting one that ended in shootouts, with the Netherlands defeating Australia to advance to the Semifinal.
Another memorable moment for me occurred during that same World Cup when we defeated Australia in the penalty shootout, according to van der Weerden. ”
For The Netherlands, a third try might prove lucky, according to van der Weerden.
Mink van der Weerden, who declared his retirement from international competition following the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
Voiced optimism that the Netherlands can win the FIH Odisha Hockey Men’s World Cup 2023 Bhubaneswar-Rourkela, which will get underway on January 13th, 2023.
The 16 teams competing in the tournament are Wales, South Africa, Japan, Germany, India, Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Netherlands, Germany, New Zealand, England, France, Korea, Malaysia, Spain, South Africa, Argentina, and Argentina.
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