Orange men record first victory of a long hockey summer

The Orange men have recorded their first victory of this hockey summer. On Sunday, the Olympic champion won 3-2 against India in the Pro League. It was a much-needed victory for the Netherlands, which can hardly afford to lose points in the national competition.

With the win, the Netherlands provisionally climbs to fourth place in the Pro League rankings. The distance with leader Belgium is six points, although our southern neighbors have played one match less than the Dutch team (nine to ten). Only the winner of Pro League will receive a ticket for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. Interesting: later this month, the Netherlands and Belgium will face each other twice more in Wavre.

That fact was a side issue on Sunday for the fans in Rotterdam, who turned out en masse for Sunday's Pro League double. In the shirt of Culemborg, Barendrecht or 'normal' in bright orange. With the exception of a single empty corner, the entire Schouten Zekerheid Stadium was occupied. In short: the hockey summer - with the World Cup as its highlight, of course - had now really started.