World Player of the Year Tom Boon stroked a hat-trick, and Alexander Hendrickx scored a brace, as Belgium stomped South Korea 6-2 in the 31st Sultan Azlan Shah Cup hockey tournament in Ipoh today.
For the first time in the tournament, Belgium coach Shane McLeod introduced Boon five minutes into the match. Boon was named Player of the Year 2025 by the International Hockey Federation.
The 36-year-old Boon, who said he will retire from international hockey after the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, is Belgium’s scoring machine. Having scored 315 goals for the national team, and more than 700 goals in the domestic league, Boon showed why he is still a glittering diamond in the team.
Ranked World No 3, the Belgians showed their class by going 1-0 ahead against the Koreans, ranked 15 in the world, in the 16th minute through Alexander Hendrix’s penalty corner conversion. The confidence from taking the lead meant that they further dominated the match.
Boon scored his first goal of the tournament and Belgium’s second in the 18th minute from a field goal but the Koreans reduced the deficit with a Kim Hyeonhong penalty corner conversion 36 seconds to the first half hooter. Belgium 2 Korea 1.
Hendrix netted Belgium’s third goal in the 37th minute via a penalty corner conversion to take his personal goal tally to three in the tournament, and Boon extended the score to 5-1 from a field goal and penalty corner conversion (46th and 49th) before Thibeau Stockbroekk stroked home the sixth goal (50th). Hyeonghong, however, clipped Korea’s second goal in the final seconds of the match. That was enough to give Belgium a crucial 6-2 victory.
BELGIUM: Shane McLeod (Coach)
We are getting a bit more momentum. It’s a group that needs to play more and more together. The more we play together, the better we get. I always like playing Korea. They worked hard; they have a really good attitude to the game.
I thought we had to work very hard and get rewarded for good things. I just want to thank Tom Goon.
A player like Boon is a luxury. When he is playing the other strikers watch him play. When he is not playing, the other players will have a lot more work to do.
SOUTH KOREA: Taeseok Min (Coach)
We were playing well. In terms of the game, the midfielders didn’t have the ability to control the ball, so I think we gave the Belgium players a lot of circle entries. Our defense was lacking a lot in today’s match. Overall, we have many young players who need the experience. However, we are satisfied with the game. It will get better.
