DNA: Coach swap: Hockey India consults men, not women
Rutvick Mehta
Hockey India’s (HI) decision to swap the head coaches of the men’s and women’s national teams was taken after consultation with some of the senior men players, but none from the women’s side.
The HI on Tuesday asked Harendra Singh, the head coach of the women’s team, to take over the men’s squad, while Dutchman Sjoerd Marijne was removed from his role as men’s coach and returned to the women’s team.
Marijne was in charge of the women’s team until September last year, when HI gave him the men’s team while appointing Harendra as the women’s coach.
A disappointing fourth-place finish by the men at the 2018 Commonwealth Games (CWG) forced HI to play this game of musical chairs.
However, while the federation made this change after a few senior members of the men’s team expressed their unhappiness over Marijne and his policies a few days ago in New Delhi, the women’s views about their rapport and progress under Harendra as compared to that with Marijne wasn’t sought at all.
“The women players were not consulted,” HI high performance director David John, a key decision-maker of this swap, told DNA on Tuesday. “I would hope that the girls take this decision on board positively and move forward.”
The women’s team under Harendra made several strides over the last seven months, winning the 2017 Asia Cup after 13 years and finishing a creditable fourth at the 2018 CWG despite a world ranking of 10.
“Harendra sir got the belief of winning medals back in us,” an Indian women player said on condition of anonymity. “He treated all of us like his daughters, and we all felt very comfortable working with him. We’re very sad that he will not be our coach anymore.”
A Tale of two coaches
Under Sjoerd Marijne (R), the 6th-ranked men’s hockey team finished a disappointing 4th at CWG 2018
Under Harendra Singh (L), the women’s team, ranked 10th, also ended 4th but beat Olympic champions England