[1] Born in Seremban, he attended St. Paul's Institution, Seremban where he would later coach alongside his brother Lawrence van Huizen, making them a powerhouse for local school-level football in the 80's.
[2] He was among the 18 men who represented Malaya in hockey at the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne[3] and the 1958 Asian Games in Tokyo, doing so as a goalkeeper.
Van Huizen was voted as the world's best Goalkeeper in 1956 and played football for clubs such as the Negri Sembilan Indians Association (NSIA) and Seremban Rangers.
He comes from a family of sportsmen; other than his brother Lawrence, his nephew Stephen van Huizen is also a former Malaysian international hockey player and a current coach.
His grandnephew, Joel van Huizen is also a Malaysian national hockey player.