07:04:2015, Bloemendaal: As the curtain came down on a stunning 2015 EHL, Jons Hensel, Chairman of the EHL for the past number of years stood down and as a mark of respect and thanks for his tremendous work, the EHF President, Marijke Fleuren presented him with the very prestigious EHF President’s Award.
On presenting the Award Marijke said ‘ Jons, here we are together on the pitch for the prizegiving of the 8th edition of the EHL. Normally only the players are in the spotlight, not us but now we make one exception for you to say in a proper way : Thank You Jons! For everybody here around us, it is important to realise that without you the EHL would not have existed and not have been what it is today. With others you started the concept, you created the circumstances to innovate, every year again and you opened the commercial eyes of many involved in hockey. You can persuade people and you make them invest for this wonderful hockey product in Europe: the Euro Hockey League.
To honour you in the best way we can I have the privilege to offer you the Presidents award of the European Hockey Federation. Really a Presidents award, because I also give it in the name of Leandro Negre, the Presidenr of FIH. Its a Prize that only can be awarded to people who served the European Hockey in an extraordinary way. We know that you stay somewhere nearby, but we will miss you and your incredible energy, your ever availibilty and your ton of Jons and of course Els, your wife. From all of us here on and off the pitch: Jons Thank You from the bottom of our heart!’
Pictured: Marijke and Jons (Frank Uijlenbroek (c))