Xan de Waard World Player of the Year for second time
Xan de Waard (30) has been voted World Player of the Year for the second time. In the annual election of the world hockey federation FIH, the SCHC midfielder remained well ahead of her competitors Alix Gerniers (Belgium) and Li Hong (China).
De Waard won the prestigious hockey award for the first time in 2023. She was also one of the contenders in 2018 and 2024, but then the award went to Eva de Goede and Yibbi Jansen respectively. It is the third time in a row that the award for best hockey player in the world ends up in the hands of a SCHC player.
With Oranje, De Waard won the sixth season of the FIH Pro League this calendar year and the European title in Mönchengladbach in the summer. In the enthralling final against Germany (2-1 win), the 231-time international was one of the standouts: she led the way when it was needed and guided the Oranje to another title with her typical runs and tactical cleverness.
De Waard succeeds her teammate Yibbi Jansen (SCHC), who was voted best hockey player in the world at the end of last year. It is the third time in a row and the fourteenth time in total that an international of the Dutch women's team has received the award. Before De Waard and Jansen, Felice Albers, Eva de Goede (twice), Naomi van As (twice), Maartje Paumen (twice), Lidewij Welten, Ellen Hoog, Minke Booij and Mijntje Donners won the award.
Brinkman misses out again
Among the men, the FIH Award went to Tom Boon for the first time in history. Individually, the 35-year-old striker of the Belgian national team had a great year in which he crowned himself top scorer in the FIH Pro League with a record 21 goals. The top prize for Boon meant another disappointment for Dutch national team captain Thierry Brinkman of Den Bosch, who fell outside the prizes for the fourth time in a row.
