There was disappointment for the Dutch men’s hockey team in India on Sunday when they lost the World Cup final to Belgium on shoot-outs. The match itself resulted in a 0-0 draw.

It was the first time Belgium had made it to the final of a World Cup – their best performance to date had been fifth place.

Dutch coach Max Caldas said after the game that the Dutch had fought hard. ‘And I am proud of the resilience and the improvements shown by the squad during the tournament,’ he said.

Nevertheless, the strong Dutch performance at the event pushed the Netherlands from fourth to third place in the global rankings, behind Belgium and Australia, who took bronze. The women’s rankings are led by the Netherlands, who are also reigning world champions.