New Delhi (TIP)- Hockey India (HI) on Friday, January 2, announced the appointment of Sjoerd Marijne as the head coach of the Indian women’s hockey team. The Dutchman replaces Harendra Singh, who reigned last month due to “personal reasons”.
Marijne returns to the Indian setup after a historic performance at the Tokyo Olympic Games in 2021 when the team finished fourth in only their second appearance at the quadrennial event in more than 36 years.
He will be supported by Matias Vila as analytical coach. Vila is a former midfielder from Argentina who made his international debut in 1997 and competed in the 2000 Sydney and the 2004 Athens Olympics for Argentina. He has been involved in coaching over the past two decades.
Also making his return to the Indian hockey setup is Wayne Lombard, as scientific advisor and head of athletic performance. He will be supported by Rodet Yila and Ciara Yila, both in the role of scientific advisors.
On his return to India, after a stint between 2017 to 2021 where the Indian women’s team rose in world ranking making it to top 10, Marijne said: “It’s great to be back. After 4.5 years, I return with fresh energy and a clear vision to support the team’s growth and help the players achieve their full potential on the world stage.”
Marijne’s first big challenge as chief coach will be the FIH World Cup Qualifiers in Hyderabad from March 8-14. Marijne will arrive in India on January 14 while the national coaching camp begins on January 19 in SAI, Bengaluru.
Speaking about his appointment, HI president Dilip Tirkey said, “We welcome Sjoerd Marijne, and the entire support staff to the Indian hockey family. We extend our gratitude to the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports (MYAS) and Sports Authority of India (SAI) for expediting the appointment in order to ensure the team’s preparations for the upcoming World Cup Qualifiers is not hampered. Emphasis has been laid on fitness of the team which was one of the key reasons for Indian women’s historic performance in Tokyo. We look forward to a fruitful stint.”
Marijne’s last stint with the team was from 2017 to 2021, and he will be supported by Matias Vila as analytical coach. Meanwhile, South African Wayne Lombard also returns to the side, as scientific advisor and athletic performance head.
Marijne is credited with changing the belief of the women’s hockey team in India. He changed hope to expectation, which led to them putting in better performances. Before him, India would employ a defensive approach, but after his arrival, it began to attack first, even if it meant defeat. Also, conceding an early goal didn’t lead to panic.
He also focused on fitness and physical conditioning, which was key to his tactical shift to high press and compact defence.
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