I’ll never forget my failed penalty in the 1994 Hockey World Cup final vs Pakistan: Bovelander

PUNE: Legendary Dutch hockey player Floris Jan Bovelander is always able to recall victory moments. He has much to tell his grandkids about his exploits, including his brace against Pakistan that helped his nation win the 1990 World Cup final in Lahore and his two penalty corners to defeat Spain in the 1996 Atlanta Olympics final.

Nevertheless, the legendary Dutch hockey player names his unusual miss as one of his most memorable games.
“I think I would remember the penalty kick I missed against Pakistan in the Sydney World Cup final in 1994 if I could go back in time.”

I learned a lot from the missed strike in that game, which we lost. We had beaten them four years before, so we learned from that experience to never underestimate your opponent. The miss helped me psychologically get ready for the Olympics in 1996. Bovelander, 58, told TOI on Thursday, “I feel like I could score in the final because I was not taking my opponents (Spain) lightly then.”
The Dutch hero was in the city to declare his support for the development plan of Rotary Pune Sports City. The Netherlands’ expert on penalty corners has been in India, where he is working with different groups and academies to create grassroots hockey programming. He believes this would benefit Indian hockey in the long term.
In contrast to their erstwhile adversaries, Pakistan, he believes Indian hockey has returned to life, and he attributes the change to the Hockey India League.
India, in my opinion, had a significant issue when the game evolved in the 1980s and 1990s and it took a long time to adjust. Thankfully, they returned, and I believe the shift began with the formation of the Hockey India League. The league led to an increase in coaching courses and a strong high-performance plan for the national teams. And once the results were announced, curiosity increased. Thus, taking home the bronze in Tokyo and placing fourth with the women’s team in the Olympics has been quite encouraging.
But the former Dutch athlete has different opinions on Pakistan.
International hockey has suffered as a result of Pakistan’s hockey team’s downfall. India is fortunate to be back, but Pakistan is losing ground in many areas, including sports. Sports will also find it simpler if the economy is strong. However, I think it’s crucial that the traditional hockey-playing countries, like Pakistan and India, be at the top or at the very least involved,” he said.
Bovelander, who has seen Indian hockey, concurs that the men’s squad depends a lot on their best goalie, PR Sreejesh. He believes it is difficult to find an adequate replacement for the finest, however.
“It’s always because there’s only one goalkeeper to play with. It is challenging and draining to bring out the best in others. India has done well, in my opinion, during the last several years. I hope they do well in the Olympics. Yes, they depend on him, but that’s the reality. You can never depend too much on a few players, and he will eventually be replaced,” he said.
There have been several regulation changes in hockey throughout the years, but not in football.
“I find football to be a really dull game. The sport hasn’t altered all that much, and I think certain regulations should be adjusted. However, despite this, billions of people watch football. How many people play hockey? Yes, adjustments are necessary, but are they really necessary?