Fueled by a positive dynamic and healthy preparation schedule, Belgium indoor red panthers coach Hugo Benhaiem says his side have a clear target when they hit the board at the women’s EuroHockey Indoor Championship in Prague in January.
“The goal is clear: to win a medal,” he said when announcing the panel. “ The girls are fifth in the world rankings, and we genuinely believe we can win a medal at the European Championships. We have a strong team and a very good dynamic.”
The competition takes place from January 15th to 18th at Prague’s UNYP Arena and the Belgians are in good shape.
It follows a three-day training camp in Waterloo, organised by Philippe Truyens (team leader) and Benhaiem, which laid the foundation for the project.
“We had a wonderful internship, with a real immersive experience. Staying overnight together at the hotel helped us build something strong within the group.”
It is something of a new-look panel with six of the side who played in the World Cup in Croatia when they finished in fifth place overall and five of the team which ended in sixth place in the 2024 Euros.
Marie Ronquetti is the most experienced player, going into her sixth European indoor campaign and, should she play three matches in Prague, will pass the 50-cap mark.
Charlotte Vander Gracht, meanwhile, has been on the indoor international stage for over a decade since the 2015 World Cup and is in line for her fifth Euros.
They are backed up by Romaine Bierlaire, Daphne Gose, Claire Barry, Margaux Coudron and France de Mot who have played in multiple major events in the past three years.
At the other end of the spectrum, there will be debuts for Hélène Delva, Juliette Duquesne and Victoria Liessens.
Maureen De Smet and Viviane Dejonghe will vye for the goalkeeping duties.
On the pitch, the initial signs are positive. The Belgian team recently took on Lambersart and secured a 5-1 victory, including a shootout, which Belgium also won.
“It was a very good test against a strong team. The level of play was interesting, and it allowed us to work well.”
Although the group atmosphere is already good, the staff still sees some areas for improvement, especially in the area of “collective automatisms”.
“Many players already know each other because they play for the same clubs, but we’re continuing to work on refining those connections. What I especially feel is a very good balance between the joy of coming to training and the required work ethic.”
The selection, which was put together together with Jérémy Gucassoff (assistant coach), was not an easy task, but it did result in a close-knit and motivated group.
Completing the backroom team is Laurine Delforge, adding yet another string to her bow – the Olympic umpire was one of the stars for Belgium on the court at the last Euros in Berlin and captain at the World Cup.
Before the trip to Prague, the Indoor Red Panthers will travel to Vienna from January 1st for a series of four international preparatory competitions.
“We will play against three teams from our group, which will allow us to directly measure ourselves against our future opponents.”
This will be an important phase in the construction, although the timing – just after the New Year – requires a specific approach.
“We know that countries like Germany and Austria will be very strong,” Benhaiem concluded. “But I really feel like we’ve made a step forward in terms of pace, commitment, and hunger. I honestly don’t think we have to fear anyone.”
Belgium women’s squad: Moureen De Smet, France De Mot, Charlotte Vander Gracht, Daphne Gose, Marie Ronquetti, Romane Bierlaire, Claire Barry, Margaux Coudron, Viviane Dejonghe, Hélène Delva, Juliette Duquesne, Victoria Liessens
Reserves: Ophélie Vincent, Lia Hubin.
