Sjoerd Marijne (ANI Photo)
BENGALURU: Following a tumultuous 2025, the Indian women’s hockey team started the season by qualifying for the FIH World Cup, to be held in Belgium and the Netherlands later this year.
The qualifiers in Hyderabad last month also marked the first assignment of chief coach Sjoerd Marijne in his second stint with the side.That box ticked, the Dutchman has now shifted focus to a packed season ahead. The probables have assembled at the SAI South Centre here for a nine-day camp starting Wednesday before travelling to Argentina for a four-match bilateral series against the higher-ranked hosts, who sit three places above world No.
8 India.Speaking to TOI on the eve of the camp, Marijne, who took over the reins in January, said, “We made really good progress over the last couple of months in terms of defensive structure and fitness. That said, there are still improvements to be made there. In the short camp before Argentina, the focus will be on fitness, which is an ongoing process. We will also work on the technical and mental side as well.”The Argentina tour, he said, will also provide opportunities to test bench strength.
“I’m very happy we can play there because it gives exposure to girls who didn’t play the World Cup qualifiers. We are taking 24 players, so everyone will get at least one match.” Marijne believes the tour will serve as a key barometer of the team’s mental readiness. “We will assess how they perform under pressure against one of the best teams in the world.
That gives us a very good insight into our progress,” he added.WORKLOAD MANAGEMENTWith the World Cup ending less than three weeks before the Asian Games — the continental Olympic qualifier — questions have been raised about workload and squad rotation.
However, Marijne, drawing from his experience in 2018, is not inclined to make sweeping changes.“Back then, people said you can’t play two big tournaments well. But we reached the World Cup quarterfinals and followed it up with a silver medal at the Asian Games,” he said, “The World Cup will help us prepare better. The main focus is winning gold at the Asian Games and qualifying for the Olympics.”He also underlined the importance of exposure to high-pressure environments.
“Playing in the Netherlands in front of full crowds will help the players mentally. Every match is an opportunity to improve. Also, during the World Cup, we can keep training. After the competition, we will have a small camp and then head to Japan,” he stated.Heading into his second camp since taking charge, Marijne expressed satisfaction over the team’s fitness levels and reduced injury concerns. Apart from Sangita Kumari, who is recovering from an ACL injury, the rest of the squad is fit and showing marked improvement.“When we started, about 13 or 14 of the girls were carrying injuries. Now, only one is. The first step was to get them back into shape, and I think we’ve achieved that. Next, we need to focus on further improvements. Our goal is for the girls to play pain-free in matches,” he added.
