Chennai
Casper van der Veen, the towering Dutch midfielder and captain, is enjoying one of his finest individual tournaments at the FIH Men’s Junior World Cup, even as collective disappointment lingers. Standing well over six feet tall and commanding the field with authority, the 21-year-old has emerged as one of the event’s top scorers, netting nine field goals in five matches. Yet, despite his prolific form, the pain of another missed semifinal cut weighs heavily on him.
Van der Veen admitted it was difficult to refocus after the Netherlands’ narrow 0-1 quarterfinal defeat to Argentina on Friday. Ranked fifth in the world, the Dutch were expected to overpower the third-ranked South Americans, but their inability to navigate Argentina’s disciplined defence proved costly. It marked the third consecutive Junior World Cup in which the Netherlands failed to reach the top four — a particularly stinging outcome for van der Veen, who is participating in his third edition after finishing fifth in both previous campaigns.
Still, the skipper ensured his team bounced back decisively, scoring a hat-trick — his second of the tournament — in a commanding 6-3 win over New Zealand in the 5–8 classification match. His third goal, a powerful thwack of an airborne ball inside the circle, stood out as his personal favourite of the evening.
Hailing from Heemstede, a small Dutch town with a rich hockey history, van der Veen followed his elder brother Tejmen into the sport at age five. With parents who work in IT and little prior family sporting background, he takes pride in making his family — present in the Chennai stands — proud.
In 2025, he also achieved a significant milestone by debuting for the senior Netherlands team in the FIH Pro League, scoring his first international goal. Calling it the realisation of a childhood dream, van der Veen expressed hope for more future opportunities — especially in India, whose passionate fans and electric stadium atmosphere left him beaming.
