Belgium’s women come into this week’s EuroHockey Under-21 Championship as a major medal contender following their run to Junior World Cup bronze last December.
They have been on the up in the past decade, reaching the final for the first in 2017 and then repeating that performance in 2022.
Six remain from that vintage in Ghent while 15 of the World Cup squad remain with the panel who showed huge endeavour in front of goal, scoring big wins over Germany (6-0), Canada (8-0) and England (7-0) in the third place playoff while their route to the final was only halted in a shoot-out by Argentina.
Astrid Bonami was the star turn there, scoring 11 times in six games to be the top scorer in the World Cup and the Gantoise woman is becoming an ever more frequent performer with the senior Red Panthers.
She is among several who already have senior caps along with Noa de Kerchove, Noa Schreurs, Felicia Theunissen, Maura Cornelissens, Maïté Bussels, Loes Palfliet, Chloé Delhalle, Lisa Moors, Louise Dewaet, Alix Marien and Emma Plets.
For most of them, those appearances came in the Argentina leg of the FIH Pro League, adding to their experience on an elevated stage.
There are plenty of strong sporting connections in the team. Marien is the younger sister of Belgian international Delphine who is in the Olympic squad.
Óphelie Vincent started her hockey with Bonami at Orée; her mother was both a young Red Panther and an Old Red Panther (masters international) while she was also a talented tennis player, winning the national Under-10 title.
Delhalle’s brother was an Under-21 international while Loes Palfliet’s sister Mien was part of the wider Young Panthers panel for this event.
Dewaet, meanwhile, is from a multi-talented family; her brothers will both player in the World University Golf Championship this summer and her mother is a two-time Belgian Racketlon champions.
There are just a trio of new faces from December – goalkeeper Roos de Jonge has never played an official international tournament at any age group before and so is the newest face. Theunissen and indoor international Noah Horbach are the other duo coming in.
Best result: Silver medal – two times (2017, 2022)
