Arthur Van Doren has been a central figure in Belgium’s meteoric rise in world hockey. His sublime skills and creativity to turn defence into attack has marked Van Doren as one of the world’s greatest ever players.

True to his prowess, Van Doren, 26, has won the FIH Player of the Year award twice (2017 and 2018). He also won the FIH Rising Star of the Year award as many times.

Van Doren made his international debut in 2012 and shortly later played in the Champions Trophy in Melbourne just two months after his 18^th birthday.

Van Doren, a huge motivator in the Red Lions team, makes striking decisions on the pitch and is vital to the rhythm that the team strikes.

He was a member of the 2018 Bhubaneswar World Cup winning Belgium team where he emerged tournament’s best player.

Van Doren then helped the team win the 2019 EuroHockey Championship title at home in Antwerp.

The successes came after a string of silver medal winning performances, notably at the 2016 Rio Olympics.

Van Doren who plays for Dutch club Bloemendaal who he helped win the 2019 national title started his career at KHC Dragons at home.

He has been duly named in the Belgium squad to the delayed 2020 Tokyo Olympics where his presence will be crucial for the Red Lions quest for the gold medal.