‘As a kid, I already dreamed of playing in a big championship like this’

EUR students Malou Pheninckx (Medicine), Marloes Keetels (Business Administration and team Captain) and Seve van Ass (Accounting & Financial Management and team Captain) are driving forces in the national men’s and women’s teams. And in late August, they proved their mettle during the European field hockey championships in Amsterdam, where the Netherlands won a double title.

It’s a drizzly Friday afternoon at Campus Woudestein, and in the Erasmus Pavilion a ragtag of students is making plans for the weekend. One of them is Malou Pheninckx. The medical student doesn’t really stand out from the crowd. But looks can be deceiving: while other students’ rucksacks are full of course books and laptops, Pheninckx proudly pulls out a gold-coloured rectangular plaque. It says ‘Rabo EuroHockey Championships 2017’.

“I brought along my medal,” she says with a triumphant grin. Last week, the 26-year-old played – and won – her first truly major tournament with the national team. In her own country in front of a home crowd, of all places. “You’ve got tens of thousands of people cheering for you as you enter the stadium, there are cameras everywhere and you can see yourself up on a big screen. It’s a unique experience. You can hardly top something like that.”

Likewise, Captain Seve van Ass can also call himself a European champion, together with the other members of the Dutch national men’s team. Although for a while, it didn’t look as if the Netherlands would be landing the gold in the final against Belgium. The Dutch team was trailing behind by 0-2. And the Belgians had already dominated by 5-0 during an earlier head-to-head in the tournament. Still, ‘Oranje’ was confident they would do alright. “We needed to get up to our usual level and continue on the path that we have taken with this young team.” And that’s exactly what the Dutch team did in the second half of the match, with the scoreboard showing 4-2 in their favour after the final whistle.

“It was absolutely awesome to be captain of your team in your own country, in a sold-out stadium. And, on top of that, winning the tournament: it’s one of the best things that can happen to you in your career,” says an enthusiastic Van Ass. And with the women’s team also winning the championship there was even more cause for celebration, adds the master student from his holiday home on Sardinia.

Whereas Van Ass was fairly certain of his spot on the team, Pheninckx only heard that she was included in the European championship line-up in late July. According to her, she needed to pull out all the stops to become eligible for the national selection. “I was delighted – and above all, very relieved – to get a call from the national coach. As a kid, I already dreamed of playing in a big championship like this – with all those people looking on,” she says.

To free up time for training, the Brabant native had to temporarily put her clinical rotation on the back burner. “We trained nine or ten times a week for European championship. You can’t combine the two,” Pheninckx explains. She does occasionally try to get some research done and read some of the literature – to keep a toe in the water.

And the University actually helps students involved in international-level athletics. “It’s important that lecturers cut you some slack occasionally – allow you to move an examination to a later date, for example,” says Van Ass. But it’s crucial to stay disciplined. Although he does hint that the goodwill factor of lecturers plays a role here too.

And the University actually helps students involved in international-level athletics. “It’s important that lecturers cut you some slack occasionally – allow you to move an examination to a later date, for example,” says Van Ass. But it’s crucial to stay disciplined. Although he does hint that the goodwill factor of lecturers plays a role here too.

Whatever the case; for the time being, hockey will be both students’ top priority. “I want to make the very most of what I have right now, because in ten years’ time, I will no longer be physically able to play at this level,” predicts Pheninckx. By then, she hopes to have become a successful physician. Van Ass considers working part-time next to his career as a world-class athlete after earning his degree. “I want to combine work and sports – it keeps me fresh and energetic.”