Bhubaneswar, Jan 17 (IANS) When the Kalinga Lancers take to the field at Kalinga Hockey Stadium here on Saturday, they will not only aim to maintain their top position in the standings but also enter an environment that their captain, Arthur Van Doren, considers one of the most unique in world hockey.

The last stage of the Men’s Hockey India League 2025–26 kicks off in Odisha's capital, a city that has earned a quiet reputation as the spiritual birthplace of Indian hockey. For Van Doren, this return is not only strategic but also deeply personal.

“Obviously, we know that the final phase will be here in Bhubaneswar, in Kalinga’s home city. Bhubaneswar and Odisha in general is a hockey-loving environment. The people that come and watch here are hockey-loving people, and we are very much looking forward to playing here, especially since we are doing well,” the Belgian defender said.

The Lancers have led the way this season, but Van Doren emphasises that the main focus is on continuous growth rather than entitlement.

“We started off very well in this competition and we want to improve, grow and make sure that we reach our full potential to have a chance to be successful,” he said. “This is hopefully only the beginning, and this is the standard we want to push and push and push.”

If form is the foundation, then the crowd in Bhubaneswar might be the final layer. Van Doren describes the stands at Kalinga Stadium as a force that changes the game's physical rhythm.

“I think it gives you a boost, that’s for sure. Knowing that the crowd here will be very loud, it will only help us. It makes the hard metres a little bit less hard,” he said with a smile.

Later, he distilled the feeling into a single word—impressive.

“If there are 10,000 people in Indian stadium, specially in venues like Kalinga Stadium, it feels like 15,000. In Europe, 10,000 feels like 10 sometimes. Here, they scream for two,” he added.

Yet home advantage also brings expectation, something Van Doren confronts head-on as captain. “Pressure is a privilege,” he said. “The most important thing is to do the things that are going well for us and build on that, not look too much at outside things. Hockey is a team sport — if you have a bad day, you’ve got 10 other friends there for you.”

His ties to Bhubaneswar go beyond the league schedule. In 2018, it was in this city that Belgium secured their first Hockey World Cup — a moment forever embedded in his memory.

“For me, it’s a very special environment. We won our first World Cup here with Belgium, so I’m especially fond of this ground. People here really love hockey — they follow it, they know about it. As a foreign player, it makes it very nice to come here because you feel it’s followed even more than maybe in Europe.”

Within the Lancers’ camp, Van Doren has also observed the strong hunger of Indian players, especially the younger ones who are shaping the team's future.

“They are constantly busy with hockey — it’s their number one priority,” he said. “Players like Deepak Pradhan and Rosan Kujur have developed a lot in one year. Rosan’s understanding of when to attack, when to defend, when to accelerate, when to calm down has grown so much, and he’s still far from his top.”

He also singled out Dilpreet Singh’s artistry, stating, “He has very silky skills, which is rare in hockey nowadays.”

Beyond tactics and training, the captain has discovered simpler pleasures in Odisha — particularly at the dining table. “I have always loved Indian cuisine and my favourite food is dal makhani with roti,” he revealed.

As the league’s critical stage starts, the Lancers will depend not only on points and strategies. They will embrace the noise, the vibrant atmosphere, the memory of crowded crowds, and a city that lives and breathes hockey.

--IANS

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