In quest to regain lost glory, Indian hockey can take lessons from Belgium's rise

Sundeep Misra


Belgium won the silver medal at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games. Reuters/Vasily Fedosenko

It's a new culling phase in field hockey. Belgium's win at the European Championships, without a doubt, the toughest of the continental championships, has shown that they are neither going to rest on their laurels (winning the 2018 World Cup) nor slow down. It was Belgium's first win, coming at the 17th European Championships. Germany have eight titles; the Dutch have five, Spain have two and England have won once. To break into this group has taken Belgium almost 16 years of perseverance, patience and a will that almost seems frightening.