Sports Profile: Pink Hockey Belgium

We go behind-the-scenes with Pink Hockey – the LGBTQIA+ hockey club of Brussels.

What led to the creation of an LGBTQ hockey club in Brussels?

There are already LGBTQ sport teams in Brussels, but hockey is not one of them at the moment.

The hockey teams that exist in Brussels play at a high level, which makes it less accessible to start playing hockey. This also makes it more difficult to create an environment without judgement where people can come together to enjoy playing sport.

There are several LGBTQ hockey teams across Europe – such as the London Royals and the Copenhagen Black Swans – which we have enjoyed playing with and want to spread that love to Brussels!

Finally, it provides those that already play hockey enjoy playing within the LGBTQ community.

Are you accepting new players?

We are accepting new players and will continue to do so.

You don’t need any experience to join, just a willingness to try and to meet fun, like-minded people!

However, those that are already keen players are welcome too.

Is hockey a sport that a lot of queer people are attracted to?

The idea is to create a team in which everyone is welcome, not based on gender, experience or sexual orientation.

It’s amazing to see how sport becomes so much fun when there are no selection criteria to be part of a team. So it’s not the sport that will attract people, but the spirit of the team that is playing hockey together, on and off the field.

Why do we need a specifically queer-inclusive hockey club in Brussels?

We need more queer specific spaces for people to come together. Hockey is just an additional opportunity for people to meet and build community.

What do you hope that people feel when they’re part of your club?

We hope that everyone that wishes to, should be able to play sport in a team no matter their level. To be part of a community of people that unites to have fun and that respect each other. And, of course, enough team spirit to feel the motivation to participate at the Eurogames this summer in Bern would be a bonus!

What are some of the goals and objectives for the club in the coming months?

Being a new team, we have a number of objectives that we are trying to arrange. With the help of others in the community, we hope to be able to find a permanent venue to play which will then enable us to properly build. It’s amazing to see how, in just a couple of meetings with an excited bunch of future players, the ideas are flowing.

Currently, we are hoping to organise a small friendly tournament in February / March 2023.

After that, our next big goal will be to have a team to participate in the Eurogames in Bern.

But first things first, we are looking for the practical stuff – field, insurance, equipment – and new players. So anyone who wants to play or be more heavily involved in the creation of Pink Hockey Belgium should contact us!

Find out more about Pink Hockey