According to reports surfacing in The Netherlands, Dutch players Maartje Goderie, Marilyn Agliotti, Marieke Veenhoven and Floortje Engels have all decided to step away from the international game. Both Goderie, 28, and Agliotti, 33, were members of The Netherlands team that claimed Gold at the London 2012 Olympic Games.
Maartje Goderie made her international debut in 2003 under coach Marc Lammers and over a nine year period earned a reputation as one of the world’s finest midfielders thanks to her incredible speed and skill. As well as the Gold medal at London 2012, Goderie was also a central figure in The Netherlands sides that took the top prize at both the 2006 World Cup and the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, where she scored in the tournament final against China. In 2005, Goderie was named as the FIH Young Player of the Year, an accolade which came courtesy of votes from fellow international players.
Like Goderie, striker Marilyn Agliotti also ends her career with two Olympic Gold medals in an impressive trophy cabinet. A former South African international, Agliotti was granted Dutch citizenship in 2006 and following her debut in 2007 subsequently became a key player in a hugely successful Netherlands team. As well as the Olympic success, Agliotti also won Gold medals at the 2009 and 2011 EuroHockey Nations Championships, as well as a first place finish at the 2011 Champions Trophy.
Marieke Veenhoven and Floortje Engels may not have been part of the team that won Gold in London this summer, but they have certainly had their fair share of success.
Veenhoven made her debut in 2008 and within a year claimed her first prize – a Gold medal at the EuroHockey Nations Championships which took place on home soil in Amstelveen. The defender was also part of the team that won the 2011 Champions Trophy, which coincidentally was also played at the Wagener Stadium, Amstelveen.
Goalkeeper Floortje Engels burst onto the international scene in 2005 before winning Gold medals at the 2005 (Canberra, AUS) and 2007 (Quilmes, Argentina) Champions Trophy tournaments. She was also a squad member of the team that won the Gold medal at the 2011 EuroHockey Nations Championships in Monchengladbach (GER), and also has a Silver medal from the 2007 Europeans in Manchester.
The FIH would like to thank all four players for their contribution to the game and wish them well in their future careers.
