Sjoerd Marijne
Marijne, however, said his leave did not mean he was disconnected from the team or unaware of what was happening during the preparation period. Marijne, who returned for his second stint as India’s coach in January, said the fifth-place finish should not become the ceiling for the team. This made it easier to have a quick start,” he said.
India eventually finished fifth at the World Cup, putting together a creditable campaign after entering the tournament with several challenges, including injuries. Instead, he wants the players to retain the hunger that helped them transform from an injury-hit side into a competitive World Cup unit. “This is a team which has players who already had played against high-ranked teams and experienced to play big tournaments. In the beginning we didn’t have this and these girls also knew me, how I coach and prepare the team. They already had shared this with the younger girls. The coach hopes the team’s World Cup performance can also generate greater interest in women’s hockey in India.
NEW DELHI: India women’s hockey team chief coach Sjoerd Marijne has defended his decision to take leave shortly before the FIH World Cup, insisting his absence did not compromise the team’s preparations and that he remained closely involved in the build-up to the tournament. Marijne’s decision to take leave before the World Cup had come under scrutiny in a section of the media, with legendary former India goalkeeper PR Sreejesh questioning whether a team could perform at its best when its chief coach was away during the final phase of preparation.