Hockey: Sjoerd Marijne, who guided India to historic fourth place at Tokyo Olympics, returns as women’s team chief coach

Hockey coach Sjoerd Marijne. (Hockey India)

When Sjoerd Marijne took over the Indian women’s hockey team for the first time in 2017, it was a largely disjointed unit, one in which most players couldn’t run, pass or score. Nine years later, he returns for a third stint with the national team. And when he joins the camp on January 14, Marijne is likely to find the players in the same condition as he first saw them.

The Dutchman, who guided the Indian women’s hockey team to a best-ever fourth-place finish at the Tokyo Olympics, has been appointed as the chief coach. He takes over from Harendra Singh, who resigned in December citing ‘personal reasons’. However, it is learnt that his departure came after the players complained to the sports ministry regarding his behaviour and a string of poor results.

Hockey India officials said Marijne was approached after senior players recommended his name to lead the team out of the current mess – India failed to qualify for the Paris Olympics, got relegated from the FIH Pro League, a competition for the world’s top teams, and is facing an uphill battle to qualify for this year’s World Cup. Marijne’s first assignment will be the World Cup qualifying tournament in Hyderabad from March 8 to 14.

“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,” said Marijne, who had coached the team twice during his first stint from 2017 to 2021.

He will be joined by Matias Vila as analytical coach. Vila is former midfielder from Argentina who made his international debut in 1997 and competed in the 2000 Sydney Olympics and the 2004 Athens Olympics for Argentina. He has been involved in coaching over the past two decades.

Also making his return to the women’s team is Wayne Lombard. The South African, who will be the team’s Scientific Advisor and Head of Athletic Performance, has been credited with turning around the team’s fitness levels, which were seen as one of the main reasons for their semifinal appearance at the Tokyo Olympics. Lombard will be supported by Rodet Yila and Ciara Yila, both in the role of Scientific Advisor.