Men's Hockey World Cup 2018: 5 favourites to win the title

#3 Netherlands

The DutchÂ have van der Weeden back - can the drag-flicker win it for Holland? — The Dutch have van der Weeden back - can the drag-flicker win it for Holland?

The Dutch seemed within striking distance of winning the title at the final edition of the Champions Trophy, but Jeroen Hertzberger's late goal against the Indians was disallowed, in a match that was a virtual semi-final, as a result of which the hosts had to settle for bronze.

While the women's side has asserted their dominance repeatedly and emphatically, in recent times, the men have been unable to strike gold in a major tournament since the 2006 Champions Trophy, and have not captured the World Cup since winning the title at home in 1998.

Paul Van Ass' side came close to repeating the feat four years back by making it to the World Cup final at the Hague, but a brutal PC hattrick from Chris Ciriello resulted in an ignominious 1-6 thrashing at the hands of Ric Charlesworth's Australians.

While the master Aussie drag-flicker is now with the Indian camp as Analytical Coach, the Dutch do have the ammunition to match Ciriello's firepower, as Mink van der Weeden (who missed the Champions Trophy on account of an injury) is now back, and perfectly capable of winning matches on his own.

About the author

Subhashish has been an Indian sports journalist at Sportskeeda since 2017. He primarily covers hockey along with other Indian Sports, and endeavors to bridge the coverage gap between the multitude of Indian sports and cricket via his articles. Subhashish’s interest in Indian sports peaked after watching a few hockey and football matches live during his childhood days, and has also played Hockey, Football, Table Tennis, Badminton at school and college level.

As a journalist, he covered every single Indian hockey match at the 2018 & 2022 Commonwealth Games, 2018 & 2023 Asian Games, 2018 Women's World Cup, 2018 & 2023 Men’s World Cup and the 2021 Olympics. An interview specialist, he has conducted over 100 interviews with the Indian Men's and Women's Hockey team, and has also been part of the UK-based DesiSportsCast Podcast.

Subhashish’s favorite Indian athlete is Vandana Katariya for her relentlessness and never-say-die attitude. For him, India men's hockey team's 7-1 win over Pakistan in 2017 Hockey World League semis on the same day as India men's cricket team's loss to the same opponent in the Champions Trophy final is an iconic moment in Indian Sports history.

When not writing, he likes to spend his free time blogging, singing, jogging, and trekking.

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Edited by Arvind Sriram