Sports · Other Sports · 3 hrs ago
Pien Sanders ends her ten-year career with the Netherlands hockey team
Pien Sanders is leaving the Netherlands national hockey team after ten years with Oranje.
The 28-year-old defender says she reached the decision after a year of reflection, as her passion for playing gradually faded.
Sanders first seriously considered stopping after the 2025 European Championship, where she captained the team and celebrated the title.
She has won two Olympic titles and many other major prizes during her career.
After skipping a national-team trip to Argentina, she returned but found that time away from hockey suited her.
Sanders says she cannot keep giving everything to the team without the passion she believes the job requires, and she has decided it is time to stop.
Pien Sanders has ended her ten-year career with the Netherlands national hockey team.
The 28-year-old said she made the decision after her passion for playing began to fade.
She had considered stopping over the past year, with her doubts growing after the 2025 European Championship.
Sanders won two Olympic titles and several other major prizes during her time with the team.
She said she could not continue giving everything to hockey without the passion she felt was essential.
- Who
- Pien Sanders, a 28-year-old Netherlands hockey player.
- What
- She has ended her ten-year career with the Netherlands national team.
- When
- The decision was reported on 20 October 2026; she had considered it over the past year.
- Where
- The Netherlands national team. Not stated where she made the announcement.
- Why
- She said her passion for playing was fading and she could not continue giving everything to hockey without it.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Sanders said she first began seriously considering stopping after the tournament.
She skipped the Netherlands' Pro League trip to Argentina and said she did not miss the hockey.
Reports said Sanders had ended her ten-year career with the Netherlands team.
- Age
- 28
- Netherlands team career
- 10 years
- Olympic titles
- 2
- European Championship
- Won in 2025
- First sign of doubts
- After the 2025 European Championship
3 sources
What people are saying
I ben mezelf als ik met passie speel. Als dat langzaam verdwijnt, ben ik mezelf niet meer.
Het voelde bijna normaal. Dat is een gevoel dat je als topsporter echt niet wilt.
Het vuurtje was aan het doven. Beetje bij beetje werd het minder.
Je moet met die passie voor Oranje spelen.