# Lars Balk > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Lars_Balk > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Lars_Balk.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lars_Balk > Source revision: 1348551572 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{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](/source/Vianen), Netherlands | position = Defender / Midfielder | currentclub = [Kampong](/source/SV_Kampong) | youthyears1 = 2001–2008 | youthclubs1 = MHC Vianen | youthyears2 = 2008–2014 | youthclubs2 = [Kampong](/source/SV_Kampong) | years1 = 2014– | clubs1 = [Kampong](/source/SV_Kampong) | nationalyears1 = 2014–2017 | nationalteam1 = [Netherlands U21](/source/Netherlands_men's_national_under-21_field_hockey_team) | nationalcaps1 = 15 | nationalgoals1 = 0 | nationalyears2 = 2015 | nationalteam2 = Netherlands (indoor) | nationalcaps2 = 12 | nationalgoals2 = 1 | nationalyears3 = 2016–present | nationalteam3 = [Netherlands](/source/Netherlands_men's_national_field_hockey_team) | nationalcaps3 = 122 | nationalgoals3 = 3 | medaltemplates = {{MedalSport|Men's [field hockey](/source/field_hockey)}} {{MedalCountry|the {{NED}}}} {{MedalOlympic}} {{MedalGold|[2024 Paris](/source/2024_Summer_Olympics)|[Team](/source/Field_hockey_at_the_2024_Summer_Olympics_%E2%80%93_Men's_tournament)}} {{MedalCompetition|[World Cup](/source/Men's_FIH_Hockey_World_Cup)}} {{MedalSilver|[2018 Bhubaneswar](/source/2018_Men's_Hockey_World_Cup)|}} {{MedalBronze|[2023 Bhubaneswar/Rourkela](/source/2023_Men's_FIH_Hockey_World_Cup)|}} {{MedalCompetition|[European Championship](/source/Men's_EuroHockey_Championship)}} {{MedalGold|[2021 Amstelveen](/source/2021_Men's_EuroHockey_Championship)|}} {{MedalGold|[2023 Mönchengladbach](/source/2023_Men's_EuroHockey_Championship)|}} {{MedalSilver|[2025 Mönchengladbach](/source/2025_Men's_EuroHockey_Championship)|}} {{MedalBronze|[2019 Antwerp](/source/2019_Men's_EuroHockey_Championship)|}} {{MedalCompetition|[Champions Trophy](/source/Hockey_Champions_Trophy)}} {{MedalBronze|[2018 Breda](/source/2018_Men's_Hockey_Champions_Trophy)|}} {{MedalCompetition|[EuroHockey Junior Championship](/source/Men's_EuroHockey_U21_Championship)}} {{MedalGold|[2014 Waterloo](/source/2014_Men's_EuroHockey_Junior_Championship)|}} {{MedalGold|[2017 Valencia](/source/2017_Men's_EuroHockey_Junior_Championship)|}} {{MedalSport|Men's [indoor hockey](/source/indoor_hockey)}} {{MedalCompetition|[Indoor World Cup](/source/Men's_Indoor_Hockey_World_Cup)}} {{MedalGold|[2015 Leipzig](/source/2015_Men's_Indoor_Hockey_World_Cup)|}} }} '''Lars Balk''' ({{IPA|nl|ˈlɑrz ˈbɑl(ə)k}}; born 26 February 1996) is a Dutch professional [field hockey](/source/field_hockey) player who plays as a defender or midfielder for [Kampong](/source/SV_Kampong) and the [Dutch national team](/source/Netherlands_men's_national_field_hockey_team).{{cite web |title=Lars Balk |url=https://hockey.nl/held/lars-balk/ |website=hockey.nl |accessdate=27 March 2019 |language=Dutch}} ==Club career== Balk started playing hockey at the age of five at his local hockey club MHC Vianen.{{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}} When he was 12 years old and wanted to play on a higher level, he switched to Kampong. He made his debut for the first team of Kampong when he was 17 years old.{{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}} Balk played in all four matches in the [2014–15 Euro Hockey League](/source/2014%E2%80%9315_Euro_Hockey_League), where they were eliminated in the quarter-final. In his second [Euro Hockey League](/source/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](/source/2015_Men's_Indoor_Hockey_World_Cup), where they won the gold medal.{{cite web |title=BALK Lars |url=https://tms.fih.ch/players/14336 |website=tms.fih.ch |publisher=[International Hockey Federation](/source/International_Hockey_Federation) |accessdate=27 March 2019}} He made his debut for the senior national team in January 2016 in a [test match](/source/exhibition_match) against [Argentina](/source/Argentina_men's_national_field_hockey_team).{{cite web |title=BALK Lars |url=https://tms.fih.ch/people/6429 |website=tms.fih.ch |publisher=[International Hockey Federation](/source/International_Hockey_Federation) |accessdate=27 March 2019}} After he was not selected in the [2017 EuroHockey Championship](/source/2017_Men's_EuroHockey_Nations_Championship) squad for the senior team, he played in the 2017 [EuroHockey Junior Championship](/source/Men's_EuroHockey_U21_Championship).{{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}} Balk played in all seven matches in the [2018 World Cup](/source/2018_Men's_Hockey_World_Cup) and scored one goal. They eventually reached the final, where they lost to [Belgium](/source/Belgium_men's_national_field_hockey_team).{{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}} In June 2019, he was selected in the Netherlands squad for the [2019 EuroHockey Championship](/source/2019_Men's_EuroHockey_Nations_Championship).{{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](/source/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 }} They won the bronze medal by defeating [Germany](/source/Germany_men's_national_field_hockey_team) 4–0.{{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](/source/Algemeen_Dagblad) |publisher=DPG Media |accessdate=24 August 2019 |language=nl |date=24 August 2019}} ==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](/source/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 --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Lars Balk](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lars_Balk) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lars_Balk?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.