A fantastic 24 months saw the Belgium side take silver at the 2016 Rio Olympics, gold at the Odisha Hockey Men’s World Cup Bhubaneswar 2018 and move from third to first in the FIH Hero World Rankings. Now, the question is, can the Red Lions continue to blaze a winning trail in the inaugural FIH Pro League?
Thomas Briels is captain of the Belgium Red Lions, the world number one team and reigning World Cup champions. FIH caught up with the 31-year-old triple Olympian to find out how he is relishing the challenges ahead. The Belgium captain talked about maintaining winning ways, coping with jet-lag and getting his protein-fix in Argentina
FIH: Winning as winners is always a challenge, how will the Red Lions ensure they maintain the momentum that has been with them for the past few years?
TB: We will have to be aware that other teams will be very motivated to beat the world champions. We can’t afford to do less work than in the past, we have to continue to work hard and get better as a team. With the standard and competition between the top teams so close, it is small details in preparation and performance that will keep making the difference.
FIH: What would you say is the underlying ethos and strength of the Belgium team?
TB: Of course, there is a lot of individual skill but I think the big strength of the team in the big tournaments is the cohesive team spirit and the willingness to work for each other. We have team values we hold very dear and we are a tight-knit team. We are friends off the field and spent a lot of time together. Some player’s have played together for more than 10 years, so that bond of brotherhood can make a big difference in key moments. Also I think the professional environment we can work in and the world-class staff who help us become better have had a big impact and made a huge contribution to the success.
FIH: How has your team prepared for the very different challenge posed by a global home and away league, particularly in terms of the travel involved and fatigue among players during a very intensive period?
TB: It will be very interesting! We will be spending around 55 hours in a plane. We will be away for 20 days but only spend 15 of those days in a hotel bed. This is very new for us so it will be important to be smart and take care of our bodies. We will concentrate more on recovery than training. We also made a big trip to New Zealand last year to test how we cope with the time difference. The staff and players are well aware of the challenges.
FIH: What are your expectations of the FIH Pro League and what do you think its impact will be on the participating teams?
TB: It is very hard to say since the league is so new. I think the world is watching in anticipation to see how it will turn out. Traveling as a professional hockey player and playing games around the world in full stadiums is something we thought would never happen. It is like a childhood dream for a lot of players so we hope the FIH Pro League will be a success with a lot of fans watching the games.
FIH: Which countries are you most looking forward to competing in, and why?
TB: I am looking forward to Argentina! I’ve only been one time, back in 2009, so it was a long time ago. I think there will be a lot of spectators and I hope we can see a bit more of the country as well. I also remember the meat over there was incredible so looking forward to that as well!
FIH: How much does it mean to the players to be able to play regularly in front of home crowds and how will your matches be regarded by the Belgium people? You must be expecting huge crowds after your World Cup success.
TB: Yes, I think this is one of the most exciting things about the Pro League. Instead of playing practice games in front of your home crowd, we can now play real games that matter. I think the Belgian fans are really looking forward to watching us play in Belgium and we expect a lot of enthusiastic fans. I know the Belgian Hockey Federation is working hard to make it a big event with plenty of side shows and additional entertainment alongside the game itself. So I would like to encourage our fans to come out and support us, we are really looking forward playing in front of a red wall cheering for us the whole game!
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