Indian hockey can’t be imagined without Punjab, says Dutch great Floris Jan Bovelander

JALANDHAR. One of the greatest drag-flickers the game has seen is in Jalandhar, and he says Punjab is the reason Indian hockey matters.

Floris Jan Bovelander, the Dutch star who won Olympic gold at Atlanta in 1996 and the World Cup in 1990, is in the city for the Hero Asian Champions Trophy 2026. He told reporters on Monday that most of his memories of Indian hockey are tied to players from Punjab, especially Sikh players. Indian hockey, he said, is simply incomplete without the state.

Bovelander came on a personal invitation from Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann. He recalled the Chief Minister’s visit to the Netherlands in April this year.

“I was both astonished and honoured that CM Bhagwant Singh Mann remembered me and personally invited me to be part of the prestigious tournament,” he said on the sidelines of the tournament at Olympian Surjit Singh Hockey Stadium. He said the invitation showed Mann’s deep love for hockey, and that is why he made sure to travel to Jalandhar.

Known to fans as “Flop”, “Floppie” and “Boem Boem” Bovelander, the former Dutch penalty-corner specialist played 241 internationals for the Netherlands between October 1985 and August 1996, scoring 215 goals.

He called India a powerhouse of world hockey and said the country had done outstanding work in taking the sport to new heights internationally. He also credited Asian nations, especially India and Pakistan, for their role in spreading the Olympic movement across the world.

Bovelander did more than watch matches. He joined a training session with 37 coaches from Punjab and young trainees of the Surjit Hockey Academy, which runs under the Punjab Government. With him were Olympic medallist Gurjant Singh, now an official with the state Sports Department, Dronacharya Awardee Jiwanjot Singh Teja and hockey coach Avtar Singh.

The Dutch great also took the young players through a drag-flick drill, sharing technical tips from his long international career.

The Punjab Sports Department honoured him for his contribution to the game.

Moved by the welcome, Bovelander said he would also attend the Mohali leg of the tournament, set for November 4 and 5 at Olympian Balbir Singh Senior Hockey Stadium.