At the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, in the bronze medal match, the Indian women’s team hockey players fell to the ground in tears at the Oi Hockey Stadium after losing 3-4 to Great Britain and finishing fourth. The girls missed out on an Olympics medal but won the hearts of 1.4 billion people as the internet flooded with the Chak De India hashtag, celebrating the deep run of the women’s team at the Olympics.
The man who guided the team to a fourth-placed finish was the head coach Sjoerd Marijne, whose tactics helped create one of the biggest moments in Indian women’s hockey. Just after the Olympics, he stepped down from the role citing personal reasons as he wanted to spend more time with his family.
On Friday, the Hockey India announced the return of Marijne as the chief coach of the Indian women’s team. Joining Marijne will be Argentina’s two-time Olympian, Matias Vila, as analytical coach.
The 51-year-old Dutchman returns to the set-up after four-and-a-half years, replacing Harendra Singh, whose stint saw the women’s team getting relegated from FIH Pro League 2024-25 earlier this year.
Reflecting on his re-appointment, Marijne said: “It’s great to be back. After four-and-a-half 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.”
The Dutchman first joined the Indian hockey set-up in 2017 as a coach of the women’s team before a short stint with the men’s hockey side till the 2018 Commonwealth Games. Because of the poor result in Gold Coast, he was removed before returning as the head coach of the women’s team in 2018. He stayed with the women’s side until the end of the Tokyo Olympics.
His achievements with the women’s side include the fourth-place finish in Tokyo, a silver medal at the 2018 Asian Games and a quarter-final finish at the London World Cup in 2018. Marijne was credited for improving the team’s fitness level during his previous tenure and also helped the team to break into the top 10 of the FIH world rankings.
The Hockey India has also announced the homecoming of South Africa’s strength and conditioning coach Dr Wayne Lombard, who was part of the Tokyo-era staff and served as the physical conditioning coach. He will join the team as the scientific advisor and head of athletic performance and will be supported by Rodet Yila and Ciara Yila, both in the role of scientific advisor.
Marijne is set to arrive in India on January 14 ahead of the national coaching camp that begins on January 19 at SAl, Bengaluru. His first big assignment will be the FIH Women’s World Cup Qualifiers in Hyderabad in March. With the Asian Games and the World Cup lined up later this year and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics cycle also beginning, the Dutch tactician’s tasks will be to revive the fading confidence and prepare the team for the big events.
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