While a fifth place finish in the EHL Men’s competition was not quite the fairytale Pinoké hoped for, Marlon Landbrug says there is plenty for the club to be proud of.

The Amsterdamse Bos outfit showcased their club in impeccable fashion, bringing together a team of volunteers to welcome Europe’s top sides. 

It stretched far beyond the action in the main stadium with a wide range of initiatives and side events.

Among them, on the opening day, Pinoké, Hurley, Amsterdam Dynamics and AHC Noorderlicht jointly organised the “Street Hockey Experience” for kids.

This event has the aim of introducing children to hockey and, in particular, a large hockey event like the EHL. 

It was opened by EHF President Marijke Fleuren, together with EHL Organiser and Pinoké President Astrid Ventevogel. The players would later get to have a meet and greet session with star forward Landbrug who said it was an honour to be part of it. 

“It is even more special for me as an ambassador of the Street Hockey Foundation. I think it is so important to invest in the youth and give something back.”

He is one of the products of the club’s youth system and has seen first-hand the work that went in to make the EHL happen. As such, he was pleased the side could deliver a 5-4 win over Harvestehuder THC to finish in fifth place.

“It feels amazing, Of course, we didn’t get the result we wanted on Friday – we would have loved to play Bloemendaal in the FINAL4. On Saturday, we showed a lot of character and, for us and the club, it’s nice to finish with the win to go into the rest of the season with a positive feeling. 

“It’s been an honour [for the club]; we have waited so many years since I joined. Our dream was to reach this level; we are here now; to play these games at our own club is amazing. We will be back!”

In addition to the Street Hockey Experience, Pinoké also hosted both the ABN AMRO EHL U14 and the first ever EHL Hockey ID competition across Saturday and Sunday.

The opening day, meanwhile, saw the club unveil an art installation while promoting sustainability in sports clubs – via the Wave and Circlarity – and their endeavours to run as environmentally friendly a tournament as possible.