Hockey is booming all over the world – including in Belgium. We’re proud to contribute to this rising trend with our know-how and high-quality products. Over the past five years, we’ve installed no fewer than 100 hockey fields. The icing on the cake? This year, the EuroHockey Championships and new FIH Pro League – two of the hockey world’s top leagues – take place on Lano Sports pitches.
Around 35 years ago, we installed one of the very first artificial grass pitches in Europe for RSC Anderlecht football club, starting a revolution in the sports world. Then, the ball really started rolling. Our artificial turf pitches now feature in locations across the globe, from the Cayman Islands to New Caledonia. More and more hockey fields are joining the ranks…
A boost for Belgian hockey
Flemish and Walloon hockey leagues boast no fewer than 48,000 members today. By comparison, there were only 34,000 members in 2014 and just 20,000 as recently as 2006. We’ve had the pleasure of contributing to these growing figures by, for example, supplying the Royal Herakles Hockey Club with our innovative S•Tec Solution hockey pitches for the Belgian Hockey Finals in May. Even more, a month before that, Belgian players shared victories over Spain and the USA during the FIH Pro League…on Uccle Sport’s Lano Sports pitch.
And wait, there’s more. We had the honour of building two water-based pitches for the renewed Wilrijkse Plein sports centre in Antwerp, which has 8,000 seats. And in June, 12 FIH Pro League matches took place on these fields – as will the EuroHockey Championships from 16 to 25 August.
Collaboration with FIH pays off
At Lano Sports, we work closely with both FIFA and FIF. “Both partnerships give our brand an enormous boost”, says CEO Joe Lano. “For example, our S•Tec Solution hockey pitches meet the strictest FIH requirements, which has earned us ‘FIH preferred supplier’ status. This is a great honour for our company, as there are only six preferred suppliers worldwide. Players are also invariably enthusiastic about our fields – the high density of the fine yarn ensures rapid ball circulation, optimal foot grip and a balanced playing field.”
Focussing on innovation
Our R&D department empowers us to keep up with the latest trends. Joe Lano: “Field lifespan is our greatest asset. After years of intensive use, the synthetic fibres of our turf are just as resilient as ever. In addition, we’ve long since jumped on the sustainable entrepreneurship bandwagon. A traditional water-based hockey field, for example, consumes an enormous amount of water per match. Thanks to our constant focus on product development, we have successfully reduced consumption by 60% — which also allows us to supply fields in drier areas, such as Africa.”