LAHORE, NOV 7: Dutch hockey captain Ronald Janssen is dreaming of hockey's first ever grand slam in the final of the 20th Champions Trophy men's hockey tournament here tomorrow. Holland, reigning Olympic and world champions, face Pakistan in the final and hope to earn a third coveted title.``Yeah, I think it will be a dream come true and when you lead the side that achieves this honour it is a double joy,'' Janssen, who is also Holland's goalkeeper, told AFP.
The 34-year-old Janssen said Pakistan ``is a young side and can give a tough time'' to his team. ``Their average age to 23 or 24 which is a plus point for them in the future. We gave them full space in the first match but it will be different in the final,'' Dutch captain said.
Janssen, who sells neckties for a Dutch company, thinks a strategy should be worked out to make field hockey professional.
``We give very little time to hockey in Holland because everybody works or studies so it is hard to make the game professional completely butit is upto the FIH to sort out this matter,'' he said.
A veteran of two Olympics (1988 and 1996) Janssen has horrible memories of the World Cup 1994 when Pakistan beat Holland on penalty strokes to lift the Cup. ``It is one of the horrible memories because I was in the goal and we missed the last penalty stroke, but it happens to every team,'' Janssen said.
Janssen was a member of the team that won the Atlanta Olympics in 1996 and the World Cup in his home town Utrecht last June.
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.