Indian women hockey team's Dutch coach Sjoerd Marijne resigns after Olympic glory
Indian women hockey team's Dutch coach Sjoerd Marijne has resigned from the post.
"It was my last match with the team," He said during a press conference after India's Olympic campaign in women's hockey ended with a 4-3 loss against Great Britain
Indian women hockey team's Dutch coach Sjoerd Marijne has resigned from the post.
"It was my last match with the team," He said during a press conference after India's Olympic campaign in women's hockey ended with a 4-3 loss against Great Britain.
The Dutch coach took charge of the team for the first time in 2017. Hockey India officials were so impressed with his work that he was asked to take charge of the men's team. However, he returned to the women's hockey team after the 2018 Commonwealth Games. In the Olympic qualifiers, India's women's hockey team defeated America 5-1 in the first game. However, they lost 4–1 in the next match and managed to qualify for the Olympics.
Marijne returned to India during the coronavirus pandemic and resumed practice sessions as soon as she was allowed to train. In January 2021, the team flew to Argentina, where they drew two matches and lost four matches.
In February he travelled to Germany for another exposure trip as part of his preparations, where the team lost all matches. However, he gained significant experience, which helped him a lot in the Olympics.
We did not win a medal, but I think we have won something bigger. We have made Indians proud again and we inspired millions of girls that dreams CAN come true as long as you work hard for it and believe it! Thanks for all the support!
— Sjoerd Marijne (@SjoerdMarijne) August 6, 2021
He had a dream at the Olympics, where he defeated world number three Australia 1–0 in the quarter-finals. However, they finished fourth, losing to Argentina and Great Britain in the semi-finals and bronze medal play-offs respectively, their best-ever performance at the Olympics.