Sjoerd Marijne of the Netherlands has been appointed the head coach of the Indian women's hockey team, marking his return to the set-up after four years. He was at the helm of the team from 2017 to 2021 and it was under him that the women in blue knocked Australia out of the Tokyo Olympic Games and also historically finished fourth, missing a medal by a whisker.
He will be supported by Matias Vila as analytical coach. He is a former Argentina mid-fielder made his international debut in 1997 and represented his country at the 2000 Sydney Olympics and the 2004 Athens Olympics. He has a massive coaching experience of over two decades.
Sjoerd Marijne excited to be back with Indian team
Meanwhile, Marijne is excited to be back with the team after more than four years and is keen on unleashing players' potential to its fullest. "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," he 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 a 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," Hockey India President Dr Dilip Tirkey said.
Marijne's first assignment as the head coach of the Indian team will be the Women's World Cup qualifiers in Hyderabad, Telangana from March 8 to 14. He will arrive in India on January 14 and National Coaching Camp is set to commence on January 19 in SAI, Bengaluru.
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