HC Achilles Bocholt

   

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HC Achilles Bocholt is a men's handball club from Bocholt, Belgium, that plays in the Belgian First Division and in the BENE-League.

History

Achilles Bocholt was founded in the summer of 1986 by about fifteen young people. After a year of training, the first team was formed in 1987. In the 2003/2004 season, the team won the second division, making it the first time in its history to get into the Belgian First Division. They were allowed to compete in an international cup for the first time in the 2013/14 season, in the EHF Cup. Here, the Hungarian Tatabánya KC was able to win both in Tatabánya (30-22)^[1] and in Bocholt (35-30),^[2] so the team was eliminated in the first round. During its history, 5 national championships (in 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2023), 7 Belgian Cups (in 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2021, 2022 and 2023) and won 6 BENE-League (in 2013, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2023). The colors of the club have changed many times over the years: green and white from 1987-1992, blue-white from 1992-2003, green-black from 2003-2020, and blue-black from 2020.

Crest, colours, supporters

Naming history

Name	Period
Handbal Achilles Bocholt	1987–1992
Handbal Sezoens Bocholt	1992–2005
Handbal Achilles Bocholt	2005–2014
QubiQ Achilles Bocholt	2014–2020
Handbal Achilles Bocholt	2020–2022
Sezoens Achilles Bocholt	2022–present

Kit manufacturers

Period	Kit manufacturer
- 2014	Nike
2014 - 2017	Jako
2017 - present	Kempa

Kits

HOME
2013–14	2015–17	2017–18	2019–20	2020–24

AWAY
2015–17	2019–20	2022–24

Team

Current squad

Squad for the 2023–24 season^[3]

Sezoens Achilles Bocholt

Goalkeepers 01 Clem Leroy 12 Stef Gijbels 16 Oracha Van Bommel 27 Wesley Snoeks Left Wingers 06 Tristan Tielen 18 Thomas Driesen 22 Mattias Van Criekinge Right Wingers 11 Elias Koninkx 30 Ilyas D'Hanis 47 Aleksa Кljajić Line Players 08 Stef Jaeken 17 Joren Lamers 24 Tim Claessens Left Backs 05 Michiel Lamers 19 Odirin Jerry 20 Ruben Roelants 44 Jeroen De Beule Central Backs 07 Wout Winters 21 Jorn Ceyssens 25 Lennert Ceyssens 31 Pieter Strauven Right Backs 14 Serge Spooren 99 Lennert Doms

Technical staff

• Head coach: Luc Boiten
• Assistant coach: Roel Valkenborgh
• Goalkeeping coach: Johannes Last
• Physiotherapist: Patrick Maas

Transfers

Transfers for the 2023–24 season

Previous squads

2018–2019 Team
Shirt No	Nationality	Player	Birth Date	Position
1	Netherlands	Björn Alberts	(1978-08-03) 3 August 1978 (age 45)	Goalkeeper
4	Belgium	Brecht Wertelaers	(1990-07-23) 23 July 1990 (age 33)	Right Winger
5	Belgium	Michiel Lamers	(1998-08-15) 15 August 1998 (age 25)	Left Back
7	Belgium	Wout Winters	(1994-08-26) 26 August 1994 (age 29)	Central Back
8	Netherlands	Evert Kooijman	(1996-01-28) 28 January 1996 (age 28)	Line Player
10	Netherlands	Jordi Cremers	(1990-03-06) 6 March 1990 (age 34)	Line Player
11	Belgium	Elias Koninkx	(1998-05-22) 22 May 1998 (age 26)	Right Winger
12	Belgium	Stef Gijbels	(1996-07-23) 23 July 1996 (age 27)	Goalkeeper
15	Belgium	Roel Valkenborgh	(1988-11-15) 15 November 1988 (age 35)	Left Back
16	Belgium	Clem Leroy	(1997-08-27) 27 August 1997 (age 26)	Goalkeeper
17	Belgium	Joren Lamers	(1996-01-19) 19 January 1996 (age 28)	Line Player
18	Belgium	Thomas Driesen	(1995-09-03) 3 September 1995 (age 28)	Left Winger
20	Belgium	Ruben Roelants	(1990-08-20) 20 August 1990 (age 33)	Left Back
22	Belgium	Serge Spooren	(1993-11-22) 22 November 1993 (age 30)	Right Back
24	Belgium Poland	Damian Kedziora	(1987-05-18) 18 May 1987 (age 37)	Left Winger
28	Netherlands	Martijn Meijer	(1991-11-28) 28 November 1991 (age 32)	Right Back
44	Belgium Poland	Bartosz Kedziora	(1990-12-31) 31 December 1990 (age 33)	Central Back

2016–2017 Team
Shirt No	Nationality	Player	Birth Date	Position
1	Netherlands	Björn Alberts	(1978-08-03) 3 August 1978 (age 45)	Goalkeeper
3	Belgium	Brecht Lamers	(1994-06-01) 1 June 1994 (age 29)	Left Back
4	Belgium	Brecht Wertelaers	(1990-07-23) 23 July 1990 (age 33)	Right Winger
5	Slovenia	Nejc Zmavc	(1990-09-06) 6 September 1990 (age 33)	Line Player
7	Belgium	Wout Winters	(1994-08-26) 26 August 1994 (age 29)	Central Back
10	Netherlands	Jordi Cremers	(1990-03-06) 6 March 1990 (age 34)	Line Player
11	Belgium	Elias Koninkx	(1998-05-22) 22 May 1998 (age 26)	Right Winger
12	Belgium	Stef Gijbels	(1996-07-23) 23 July 1996 (age 27)	Goalkeeper
14	Netherlands	Andreas Kittel	(1985-02-12) 12 February 1985 (age 39)	Right Winger
15	Belgium	Roel Valkenborgh	(1988-11-15) 15 November 1988 (age 35)	Left Back
16	Belgium	Clem Leroy	(1997-08-27) 27 August 1997 (age 26)	Goalkeeper
17	Belgium	Joren Lamers	(1996-01-19) 19 January 1996 (age 28)	Line Player
22	Belgium	Serge Spooren	(1993-11-22) 22 November 1993 (age 30)	Right Back
24	Belgium Poland	Damian Kedziora	(1987-05-18) 18 May 1987 (age 37)	Left Winger
34	Slovenia	Miha Pučnik	(1988-02-01) 1 February 1988 (age 36)	Left Back
44	Belgium Poland	Bartosz Kedziora	(1990-12-31) 31 December 1990 (age 33)	Central Back

Accomplishments

• Belgian First Division:
  • Winners (5) : 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2023
  • Runner-Up (3) : 2010, 2013, 2014
• BENE-League:
  • Winners (6) : 2013, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2023
  • Runner-Up (2) : 2010, 2022
• Belgian Handball Cup:
  • Winners (7) : 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023

EHF ranking

As of 26/10/2023^[4]

Rank	Team	Points
124	Belenenses	36
125	HC Butel Skopje	36
126	SKKP Handball Brno	36
127	Achilles Bocholt	36
128	A.C. PAOK	36
129	Saint-Raphaël Var Handball	36
130	GC Amicitia Zürich	36

Former club members

Notable former players

Former coaches

Seasons	Coach	Country
1988–1992	Nel Kremers
1992–1993	Patrick Coppens
1993	Frans Van Keulen
1993–1994	Cor Borghmans
1994–1998	Ryszard Wilanowski
1998–2000	Tinus Hulsbosch
2000–2002	Philippe Spooren
2002–2003	Cor Borghmans
2003–2004	Dominiek Brinkmans
2004–2006	Ryszard Wilanowski
2006	Dieter Lennartz
2006–2010	Gabrie Rietbroek
2010	Harold Nusser
2010–2011	Gabrie Rietbroek
2011–2012	Robin Gielen
2012	Stan Backus
2012–2014	Pim Rietbroek
2014	Stan Backus
2014–2022	Bart Lenders
2022–	Luc Boiten

References

External links

• Official website
• HC Achilles Bocholt on Facebook