The Indian women’s hockey team coach Sjoerd Marijne commented on the controversy surrounding his pre-World Cup leave, saying that not everyone knows the full story. Marijne was in the limelight as reports suggested that the Dutch tactician wasn’t present for the training camps in person before the tournament.
Many criticised the move from Marijne and Hockey India, with PR Sreejesh hitting out against the federation. Speaking to PTI, Marijne reiterated that the preparation for the tournament wasn’t hampered and he was doing meetings and was in touch with the players also.
“I have seen every training, match, done meetings and had personal contact with the players, so it was not that I didn’t know what was going on,” Marijne told PTI in an interview after India’s World Cup campaign.
“People don’t always know the real story and that’s fine as long as we know what we have done and we covered everything. Besides this also the staff which was there and helped them to prepare for the World Cup,” he said.
Despite Marijne being absent in the preparations, his team silenced the noise and secured a fifth-place finish at the World Cup, their best finish since 1974.
Marijne said that he is expecting more from the team and hopes they can build on the result.
“It has been a journey with many ups and this is what we have to continue, but that’s only possible when we stay hungry and eager to get the best out of ourselves and not take things easy.”
“Keep raising the bar, and expect more and more from the team. Growing is a daily process and also staying connected with each other,” said Marijne.
‘HOPE WE CAN INSPIRE YOUNG KIDS TO PLAY HOCKEY’
Marijne believes his time away from the Indian setup has helped him grow, both professionally and personally. Working closely with other coaches and mentoring them over the past few years, he feels, has given him a fresh perspective on his own methods.
“I have been in India, I know better how things are working and what works with coaching an Indian team. I have guided coaches the last years and that also helped me to reflect myself and become a better coach,” he said.
India’s performance at the World Cup has also drawn encouraging support from fans back home. Marijne is hopeful that the growing attention around the team will encourage more youngsters to take up the sport, particularly women’s hockey.
“If I see the reactions, people are positive and follow the team. I hope we inspire young kids to also start playing hockey,” he said.
Next on the agenda for the Marijne and the Indian team will be the Asian Games 2026 in Japan next month.
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