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2007, the year of the 4th Champions Challenge. The port city of Antwerp located in Belgium was all set to host the only major hockey event of the year which was introduced by the International Hockey Federation in 2001. The event was introduced to broaden international competition and to act as a qualifying tournament for the Champions Trophy.
Hosts Belgium finished last (sixth position) in the second-tier event. Fast forward to 2016, Belgium battled Argentina in the final of the men's tournament in the Rio Olympics albeit they had to settle for a silver medal as they lost the final by 4-2. Belgium Hockey's journey from struggle to success wouldn't have been possible without their current Captain Thomas Briels.
In the past few months, Belgium have been a force to reckon with courtesy Thomas Briels who has made 336 appearances for his national side. Briels was a part of the Belgian side when they won the silver medal in the 2016 Rio Olympics and he was the Captain of Belgian team that won the 2018 World Cup and 2019 EuroHockey Championship.
Sportskeeda caught up with Thomas Briels for an exclusive interview where he talked about the rise of the Belgian side, his training and fitness routines and the upcoming Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
Q. Having made 332 appearances for the country, how do you guide the younger set of players in Belgium?
Thomas: I think it the responsibility of the older players to share their experience with the new younger generation coming through. We have to help them being part of the team as quick as possible. We have to teach them our culture, values and beliefs and lead by example on and off the field.
So, in turn, they will do the same with the next generation and build even a greater and stronger culture and team. I would give the message, be proud to represent your country but remember you are an example and people are watching. You can be an inspiration to many young kids so try your best to be the best you can be as a player and a person on and off the field.
Q. What is your fitness routine and how are you training for the upcoming Tokyo 2020 Olympics?
Thomas: It is important to have a good life balance. Train hard, treat your body kind but also take time to relax and take time to have some mental rest. I consider sleep, food, training load, injury prevention, and life balance very important. Also, some things will work for some individuals and other things will work for others.
There is no secret ingredient but you have to try, learn, fail and succeed during your career. In the end, you will know what your body needs to perform. I will go 2 to 3 times to the gym a week and build my strength just so I can cover the training load of the multiple hockey sessions and matches we have. I try to eat healthy, real foods. No sugars or sugary drinks.
Q. A silver medal in the previous Olympics, what are the expectations from the 2020 Tokyo Olympics?
Thomas: That was our first big achievement as a team and it was huge for Belgian hockey. Since then we developed more and more. We were crowned World Champions in 2018 in Bhubaneswar and in 2019 we became European Champions in our own country Belgium. I think we matured a lot since Rio and it is exciting to play in this team. I am looking forward to the next 6 months. We will work hard and we will be ready to compete for the medals.
Q. How did the idea of podiatrist enter your mind and how did you manage studies and hockey simultaneously?
Thomas: I always found it important to have a passion next to hockey and to develop as a person on a more intellectual level. I was not always a good student but when I found something that interested me that changed. I love to know how the human body works and I find it fascinating. As a podiatrist, you learn how we move and how the body works. You also learn a lot about injuries and rehabilitation so since I play sport at the highest level I found the courses very interesting.
Next to that, I love to be able to help people and get people back on their feet. I think working in the medical field is a beautiful passion and it gives a lot of satisfaction being able to help people. I did study two years longer while playing hockey because our hockey schedule is so busy. Luckily I studied in the Netherlands and they are very sport-minded.
Note: A podiatrist or podiatric physician or foot and ankle surgeon, is a medical professional devoted to the treatment of disorders of the foot, ankle, and lower extremity.
Q. What's your take on hockey not being a financially viable sport in Belgium?
Thomas: I think there has been a lot of work done to make the sport more professional in Europe. We can’t win a lot of money like football players and sometimes it is a pity because we put in a lot of effort. But we can earn enough to have a good life and be full-time professionals.
It is important though to think about your career after your hockey career. No one can stop and retire after his hockey career in Europe. You will have to find another passion to continue making a living. But maybe that is not a bad thing either. There are other things in life besides hockey.
Q. How does it feel to be a part of this rise in the history of Belgian hockey?
Thomas: Yes, we have made unbelievable steps in the last few years. When I started playing in 2006 we were ranked 13th in the world. Now we are ranked first and we are World Champions! It is an unbelievable story and one I am very proud of. I think this is the work of a lot of people a lot of years. Players/Staff/Federation/Sponsors/Government/ etc.
A lot of people worked in the shadows to help grow hockey in Belgium. Of course, the results of our team helped a lot as well. Some players already play more than 10 years together in the team. There were a lot of bad moments, a lot of learnings, a lot of deceptions but in the end, we learned, worked hard and together we achieved some great success. We will continue and try to write more beautiful pages in the history books of Belgian sport.
Q. What is the mantra which helps you to keep going?
Thomas: I first want to help and make my teammates proud. I want to do my job to the best of my ability to help my teammates to be successful so we can be successful as a team. I want to make Belgium proud and of course, all my family and friends who supported us during so many years.
I want to give them joy and I want to get the best out of myself. In the end, I want to make my self-proud and have no regrets what’s so ever. I want to leave the Belgian shirt in a better way than when I found it and I want to pass my experience to my younger teammates.
