The EHL is a fantastic platform, an amazing promotional tool for fi eld hockey TEUN DE NOOIJER National Hockey Stadium in Lahore. Before the eyes of a seething crowd the Dutch team wins the World Championship in a direct confrontation with Pakistan. The Dutch fi eld hockey press (then eleven men strong) is waiting outside the changing rooms for up to 45 minutes. The atmosphere is exuberant, everybody is laughing and slapping shoulders all around. Maurits Crucq decides to go back into the stadium and is taking penalty shots with two ball boys at the same spot he became world champion just an hour earlier. In the jolly hectic of the T Teun de Nooijer shows what he does best. changing room coach Hans Jorritsma is the calmest of all. He observes his players from a distance. The man who changed fi eld hockey for ever is already, as always, one step ahead. Or rather, several steps. “Are you coming with me next Saturday?”, he asks his interview with Teun de Nooijer really begins 22 years ago. In the changing rooms of the me. “To Alkmaar, where you can watch the future of Dutch hockey play. A thirteen year old boy, he is absolutely incredible.” “Everybody had a chance to speak his mind, so now we can move on” TEUN DE NOOIJER Phenomenon This is the fi rst time I hear of Teun Floris de Nooijer. Ten years later he is a two time Olympic and world champion himself. A phenomenon, untouchable or so it seems. However, the Olympic year of 2012 has barely begun when the hockey world is startled by the announcement that London might be a bridge too far for De Nooijer. Coach Paul van Ass eliminated him from the team, his fi fth Olympic tournament may never come. Two months later, after an intense talk, Van Ass came back on his words though and included De Nooijer in the preliminary selection for London again. De Nooijer remained calm as always when his removal was discussed in those two months. Not one tactless word passed his lips. That would not suit him in any case. Like you will never see him make a really nasty foul, he would never undermine a head coach. Especially to the outside world. He has kept his cool after his comeback. “In the meeting with Paul everything was said. Sometimes that is necessary but you should not keep coming back to it. That goes for everyone. Not just for us two, but for the entire team. Everybody had a chance to speak his mind, so now we can move on as group and take a really big step forward.” Perfect distraction His voice is steady. Total 20 07 20 12 71 Pagina 70
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