{{short description|Dutch field hockey player}} {{Use dmy dates|date=July 2022}} {{Infobox field hockey player | name = Lars Balk | image = | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1996|2|26|df=y}} | birth_place = Vianen, Netherlands | position = Defender / Midfielder | currentclub = Kampong | youthyears1 = 2001–2008 | youthclubs1 = MHC Vianen | youthyears2 = 2008–2014 | youthclubs2 = Kampong | years1 = 2014– | clubs1 = Kampong | nationalyears1 = 2014–2017 | nationalteam1 = Netherlands U21 | nationalcaps1 = 15 | nationalgoals1 = 0 | nationalyears2 = 2015 | nationalteam2 = Netherlands (indoor) | nationalcaps2 = 12 | nationalgoals2 = 1 | nationalyears3 = 2016–present | nationalteam3 = Netherlands | nationalcaps3 = 122 | nationalgoals3 = 3 | medaltemplates = {{MedalSport|Men's field hockey}} {{MedalCountry|the {{NED}}}} {{MedalOlympic}} {{MedalGold|2024 Paris|Team}} {{MedalCompetition|World Cup}} {{MedalSilver|2018 Bhubaneswar|}} {{MedalBronze|2023 Bhubaneswar/Rourkela|}} {{MedalCompetition|European Championship}} {{MedalGold|2021 Amstelveen|}} {{MedalGold|2023 Mönchengladbach|}} {{MedalSilver|2025 Mönchengladbach|}} {{MedalBronze|2019 Antwerp|}} {{MedalCompetition|Champions Trophy}} {{MedalBronze|2018 Breda|}} {{MedalCompetition|EuroHockey Junior Championship}} {{MedalGold|2014 Waterloo|}} {{MedalGold|2017 Valencia|}} {{MedalSport|Men's indoor hockey}} {{MedalCompetition|Indoor World Cup}} {{MedalGold|2015 Leipzig|}} }}
'''Lars Balk''' ({{IPA|nl|ˈlɑrz ˈbɑl(ə)k}}; born 26 February 1996) is a Dutch professional field hockey player who plays as a defender or midfielder for Kampong and the Dutch national team.<ref>{{cite web |title=Lars Balk |url=https://hockey.nl/held/lars-balk/ |website=hockey.nl |accessdate=27 March 2019 |language=Dutch}}</ref>
==Club career== Balk started playing hockey at the age of five at his local hockey club MHC Vianen.<ref name="Het Kontakt">{{cite web |title=Lars Balk in hockeyselectie van Oranje |url=https://www.hetkontakt.nl/regio/vianen/sport/135450/lars-balk-in-hockeyselectie-van-oranje- |website=www.hetkontakt.nl |publisher=Het Kontakt |accessdate=27 March 2019 |language=Dutch |date=27 November 2017}}</ref> When he was 12 years old and wanted to play on a higher level, he switched to Kampong.<ref name="Het Kontakt"/> He made his debut for the first team of Kampong when he was 17 years old.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Collewijn |first1=Sander |title=Lars Balk: de mug, het on-Nederlandse klootzakje van Oranje |url=https://hockey.nl/nieuws/oranje/lars-balk-de-mug-het-on-nederlandse-klootzakje-van-oranje/ |website=hockey.nl |accessdate=27 March 2019 |language=Dutch |date=9 November 2018}}</ref> Balk played in all four matches in the 2014–15 Euro Hockey League, where they were eliminated in the quarter-final. In his second Euro Hockey League, they reached the final and won the tournament.{{citation needed|date=July 2022}}
==International career== Before Balk made his debut for the outdoor senior team, he played for the indoor team in the 2015 Indoor World Cup, where they won the gold medal.<ref>{{cite web |title=BALK Lars |url=https://tms.fih.ch/players/14336 |website=tms.fih.ch |publisher=International Hockey Federation |accessdate=27 March 2019}}</ref> He made his debut for the senior national team in January 2016 in a test match against Argentina.<ref>{{cite web |title=BALK Lars |url=https://tms.fih.ch/people/6429 |website=tms.fih.ch |publisher=International Hockey Federation |accessdate=27 March 2019}}</ref> After he was not selected in the 2017 EuroHockey Championship squad for the senior team, he played in the 2017 EuroHockey Junior Championship.<ref>{{cite web |title=Alexander Cox maakt EK-selectie Jong Oranje Heren bekend |url=https://hockey.nl/nieuws/jong-oranje-heren/alexander-cox-maakt-ek-selectie-jong-oranje-heren-bekend/ |website=hockey.nl |accessdate=27 March 2019 |language=Dutch |date=30 July 2017}}</ref> Balk played in all seven matches in the 2018 World Cup and scored one goal. They eventually reached the final, where they lost to Belgium.<ref>{{cite web|title=Belgium's Red Lions win Odisha Hockey Men's World Cup Bhubaneswar 2018|url=https://www.worldcup2018.hockey/men/news/belgiums-red-lions-win-odisha-hockey-mens-world-cup-bhubaneswar-2018__246|publisher=FIH|accessdate=27 March 2019|date=16 December 2018}}</ref> In June 2019, he was selected in the Netherlands squad for the 2019 EuroHockey Championship.<ref>{{cite web |title=Selectie Heren EK Hockey 2019 bekend |url=https://www.knhb.nl/nieuws/selectie-heren-ek-hockey-2019-bekend |website=www.knhb.nl |publisher=Koninklijke Nederlandse Hockey Bond |accessdate=9 August 2019 |language=Dutch |date=29 July 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190809085123/https://www.knhb.nl/nieuws/selectie-heren-ek-hockey-2019-bekend |archive-date=9 August 2019 |url-status=dead }}</ref> They won the bronze medal by defeating Germany 4–0.<ref>{{cite web |title=Hockeyers verslaan Duitsland weer en pakken brons |url=https://www.ad.nl/andere-sporten/hockeyers-verslaan-duitsland-weer-en-pakken-brons~a0b2c679/ |website=Algemeen Dagblad |publisher=DPG Media |accessdate=24 August 2019 |language=nl |date=24 August 2019}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== * {{FIH}} * {{Olympedia}} * {{Olympics.com}} * [https://olympics.com/en/paris-2024/athlete/lars-balk_1971905 Lars Balk] at the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics * {{TeamNL|lars-balk|old_id=5839-lars-balk}}
{{SV Kampong squad}} {{Navboxes |title=Netherlands squads |bg=orange |fg=white |list1= {{Netherlands FH Squad 2018 World Cup}} {{Netherlands FH Squad 2019 EuroHockey Championship}} {{Netherlands FH Squad 2021 EuroHockey}} {{Netherlands FH Squad 2020 Summer Olympics}} {{Netherlands FH Squad 2023 World Cup}} {{Netherlands FH Squad 2023 EuroHockey}} }}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Balk, Lars}} Category:1996 births Category:Living people Category:Dutch men's field hockey players Category:People from Vianen Category:Field hockey players from Utrecht (province) Category:Men's field hockey defenders Category:Men's field hockey midfielders Category:2018 Men's Hockey World Cup players Category:Field hockey players at the 2020 Summer Olympics Category:Field hockey players at the 2024 Summer Olympics Category:Olympic field hockey players for the Netherlands Category:SV Kampong players Category:Men's Hoofdklasse Hockey players Category:2023 Men's FIH Hockey World Cup players Category:Medalists at the 2024 Summer Olympics Category:Olympic gold medalists for the Netherlands Category:Olympic medalists in field hockey Category:21st-century Dutch sportsmen