André Boerstra

André Boerstra played for HHIJC in Den Haag (The Hague), which provided a large number of Dutch internationals in the post-war years. HHIJC and Boerstra won the Dutch national title in 1948, 1949, 1951 and 1952. A forward, Boerstra won 48 caps for the Dutch national team, and played at the 1948 and 1952 Olympics, where he collected bronze and silver medals, respectively. Illustrating the “Austerity Games” nickname of the London Games, Boerstra had brought only a single hockey stick to the Olympics. When it broke during one of the matches, he played with a stick borrowed from team mate Roepie Kruize. Educated as an engineer, Boerstra worked for oil company Shell and jenever distillery Bols.