"Hockey India League is exciting": Vedanta Kalinga Lancers co-captain Arthur Van Doren

By Utkarsh Rathour

New Delhi [India], December 23 : Arthur Van Doren is one of modern hockey's most decorated defenders. The Belgium hockey player is a Tokyo 2020 Olympic gold medallist and 2023 World Cup champion.

Arthur has also won silver medals at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games and the 2023 World Cup. Currently leading Belgium in the ongoing FIH Hockey Pro League, Van Doren has earned 276 international caps since making his senior debut in 2012.

Ahead of the Hockey India League (HIL) tournament, Vedanta Kalinga Lancers on Saturday announced the appointment of India's Sanjay and Belgium stalwart Arthur as co-captains of the team. The HIL 2026 will be held from January 3 to January 26 2026, across Chennai, Ranchi and Bhubaneswar.

Speaking to ANI, Arthur opened up about how he feels to be back in India for this specific franchise tournament. The star defender said he loves playing hockey in India and wants to do better than last year.

"Yeah, very nice obviously. I always love playing hockey in India. I think everybody does. I think it's quite incomparable towards different countries, and that's obviously one of the biggest compliments. I think that's extra special," Arthur said.

"The Hockey India League is exciting, and I think it's very good for our game. I'm loving the fact that we're back for a second season, and I would love to do better than last year, of course, with the Vedanta Kalinga Lancers," he added.

Asked about Vedanta Kalinga Lancers' legacy, the two-time FIH Player of the Year said, "You clearly see that the vision is to grow, to have success, to do well. I think Vedanta coming in created clear goal-setting and made sure everything was in place so the players could focus only on hockey, which is often the nicest part. We struggled last year to reach the playoffs. The team is hungrier than ever to do well this year."

Arthur also commented on the atmosphere at the Kalinga Stadium that influences his performance. The star defender added that the Kalinga Stadium holds a special place in his heart as his country (Belgium) became world champions in 2018.

"It's difficult to compare. I think the quality, and especially the volume, of the fans in India and at the Kalinga Stadium is quite impressive. So, we love playing there again. For me, it's extra special because it's the stadium where we became world champions in 2018. So it has that extra link. 'll be delighted to be there again and to be playing in front of those fans," he said.

When Arthur was asked about the current crop of Indian hockey players, he highlighted India winning two consecutive medals in the Tokyo and Paris Olympics.

"I think the HIL players have done extremely well over a number of years. I think one of the biggest compliments is that they've medalled in two consecutive Olympics. I think it only shows that the quality of players is continuous and the HIL in general is coming back, I think it's only beneficial for the younger Indian players."

"It will help them with their preparation and development. But the same can be said about the foreigners coming. I think it also helps us become more well-rounded players. It pulls you out of your comfort zone with a lot of travelling, a lot of adapting in different teams, environments, and I think it's only beneficial for you as a player and a person."

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