Hertzberger is absent, but Rohof and Merkus are

National coach Robert Tigges has announced his training squad for the World Cup in South Africa. The group will start tomorrow (Wednesday, editor’s note) at Topsportcentrum Almere with preparations for the sixth edition of the World Cup to be held in Pretoria from February 5 to 11, 2023.

Tigges begins the World Cup trajectory with a group of twenty players. The team is a composite group of eight players who have recently won bronze at the European Championships in Hamburg supplemented by eleven remaining from a group of twenty players from the Hoofdklasse Zaal who completed two “selection training sessions” last week and Niek Merkus, who is recovering from a broken hand he suffered ahead of the European Championships.

Merkus, Casper van Loon, Chris Taberima and Steven Hoogtet were also part of the European Championship training squad before. Joep Troost and Teun Rohof have been designated as reserves for this European Championship. Since the bronze of the European Championship, Bram van Battum, Gijs Campbell, Jasper Tukkers and Jeroen Hertzberger will not enter the trajectory of the World Cup.

Hertzberger held in November already a blow to the arm when the world championship arrived. “In principle, I will follow the process of the European Championship, then we will go further.” The World Cup lasts long enough and you also have the season on the pitch. So it’s still a question mark,” said the Rotterdam club icon at the time.

Most Experienced Rohof

With fourteen World Cup appearances, Rohof is the player with the most World Cup experience in the training squad. Nicki Leijs and Max Sweering have made eight and four World Cup appearances respectively. The trio were part of the Orange team, which won the world title in Leipzig in 2015.

Jeroen Hertzberger, Max Sweering and Jasper Tukkers celebrate a goal against Belgium during the European Championship in Hamburg. Photo: William Verne

It was also Oranje Heren’s last participation in the world indoor championship. As defending champions, the team was unable to qualify for the 2018 World Cup. In 2003 and 2011, Oranje Heren finished in fifth place.

The Orange was awarded to defending and new European champions Austria, Belgium, Kazakhstan, Namibia and New Zealand in Pretoria. The other group includes Iran, winners of bronze in 2018, the Czech Republic, Australia, South Africa, the United States and Argentina. Germany decided to withdraw early.

World Cup training squad selection