Sjoerd Marijne returns to Indian women's hockey with emphasis on fitness, culture, and team unity

Bengaluru: In a crucial year of marquee events, Indian women’s hockey team head coach Sjoerd Marijne is choosing reality over lofty promises. Rather than talking about dreams and ambitions, the Dutchman has turned his immediate attention to rebuilding — getting the players aligned, restoring trust, and re-establishing a collective culture. Back for his third coaching stint in India and his second with the women’s team, Marijne finds himself in a situation similar to the one he inherited in 2017. Issues of groupism, internal friction, fitness concerns, and a trust deficit linger, compounded by the bitter exit of predecessor Harendra Singh. Marijne’s message, however, is clear: he is here to build a team, not run a boot camp. “I’ve told the girls that what happened in the past is the past. We don’t have to be best friends. We can have fun together, but we also have to work really hard together,” Marijne said during his first interaction with the media on Wednesday. “For me, it’s about performance and behaviour. I also feel the girls need moments where they have joy and enjoy what they’re doing. It’s not a punishment camp. The most important thing is to create a unit and bring back the culture of working together,” he added. Marijne believes the current group is significantly better equipped than the one he began with almost nine years ago. “The conditions are much better. Fitness levels are far ahead of where they were in 2017. Back then, we started at a very low level in terms of intensity and tactics,” he said. “The fitness is much further than in 2017. Back then, we started at a very low level in terms of intensity and tactics. There has been a lot of improvement. What we did from 2017 till 2021 has been continued. Not everything the way I would do it, but every coach is different. There’s much better quality than in the past. Also, speed and agility are much better.” Marijne, under whom India finished a landmark fourth at the Tokyo Olympics, is also encouraged by the players’ improved communication skills. “Another big difference is that nearly 80 per cent of the girls speak English, maybe even more. When I ask questions now, I get more responses than before. Many of them are also studying.” With several senior players battling injuries and fitness concerns, one of Marijne’s key conditions before rejoining was the inclusion of Wayne Lombard in the support staff. Lombard, who returns as scientific advisor and head of athletic performance, played a pivotal role in transforming the team’s fitness culture during Marijne’s earlier tenure. “Strength was not high on the list in the past. That’s something we are bringing back. I can’t judge the players when their fitness is not good. First, we are helping them, and when their fitness is good, we can assess how they perform,” he said. With qualification for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics as the goal, Marijne has made it clear that reputations will carry no weight. “All 29 players in the squad are important to me. There will be no special attention for captains or seniors,” he said. “There’s very good talent, a strong mix of youth and experience, and everyone has to fight for their position,” added Marijne, whose first assignment with the team will be next month’s World Cup qualifiers in Hyderabad.