The Netherlands has some 700 wheelchair hockey players, more than any other country in the world, and a large number were in the Dutch town of Rijswijk on Saturday for the national championships.

 “To play well, you have to learn to think differently,” says Meike Obdeijn. “It is first your chair and then your stick.”

There were two wheelchair hockey tournaments at the Dirk Kuyt Foundation Cup event: one for electric (E) and one for non-motorised wheelchairs (H). Since the KNHB embraced wheelchair hockey by setting up a league, the sport has grown considerably. “We are at the top internationally alongside the Czech Republic and Sweden,” says the H team’s coach Frank Maagdenberg.

Body and soul

Meike Obdeijn used to play for the Deventer ladies when she lost part of her leg in an accident. "I have a tactical advantage from my previous hockey carrier but you do need to get used to the longer stick,” she says. International umpire Hans Nijhoff also ended up in a wheelchair after an accident. “Suddenly becoming handicapped is a real mental blow,” he says. “Wheelchair hockey is a great sport. It gets you moving and that is good for both body and soul.” 

Wheelchair World Cup

National E hockey coach Paul Mennink is looking forward to the World Cup in Munich in August. “The players do their absolute best,” he says.  “If your body has become limited in its functioning, it is good for the mind to have something to strive for.” The Dutch E team became European champions in 2012 and have set their sights on the World Cup. Major efforts are also under way to have the game recognised as a Paralympic sport. Meanwhile, the new Dutch national champions are ISVA (electric wheelchairs) and Kennemer Keien for the non-motorised version of the sport.