Minke Smabers

Minke Smabers (born March 22, 1979 in Den Haag, Zuid-Holland) is a field hockey midfielder from the Netherlands, who played more than 200 international matches for the Dutch National Women's Team. Her current team is Laren.

She made her debut on June 29, 1997 against South Korea (2-1), and was a member of the team, that won the bronze medal at the 2000 Summer Olympics. Four years later she captured silver at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece. Smabers was also a member of the team that won the world title at the 2006 Women's Hockey World Cup in Madrid by beating Australia in the final and which won the 2007 Champions Trophy. During the Champions Trophy she became the all time record holder in caps for the national team, wearing the orange jersey for the 235th time in her career in the final, breaking Mijntje Donners' record. Her older sister Hanneke also played international hockey for the Dutch Women's Team.

At the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing she won an olympic gold medal with the Dutch national team beating China in the final 2-0.

Personal

During the closing ceremony of the 2008 Olympics in Beijing her boyfriend, Dutch' baseball teams catcher, Tjerk Smeets proposed, and Minke accepted. [ [http://www.sportwereld.nl/olympischespelen/2555577/Aanzoek_tijdens_sluitingsceremonie.html Aanzoek tijdens sluitingsceremonie] ]

Notes

External links

* [http://www.knhb.nl/oranje/interlandhistorie/cDU300_Interlandhistorie.aspx?intPlayerId=168290 Dutch Hockey Federation]