K. ARUMUGAM

As expected, the Indian women’s hockey chief coach Janneke Schopman has resigned. It was in the coming ever since her team could not win the Asian Games. However, she got another lease of life when India hosted the Olympic Qualifier after in a quick clever move bidding it successfully from the first-choice host China (read AHF) that automatically qualified for Paris with Hangzhou success.

India, despite top seed and host, could not get much needed the Paris Qualification even through the qualifier route. Its a fit case for frustration for Indian hockey, as the women were the semifinalists of the previous Olympics and top-seeded in India.

She has to take the accountability which she did.

Under her, the team actually struggled failing to live up to the expectation.

Record:

Matches Trained: 74
India won: 38
Draw: 17
India goals: 212
India conceded: 93

Semifinal syndrome:

2022 Asia Cup SF: Lost (2-3)
2022 CWG SF : lost on shoot out (0-3)
2022: FIH Nations Cup SF: Won on shoot out (2-1)
2023: Asian Games SF: Lost (0-4)
2023: AWCT: Won (2-0)
2024: Oly. Qualifier SF: Lost on SO (3-4)
Sum up: lost 4 SFs, 2 Reg. time, 2 SO

Is she the unluckiest coach ever?

In the  crucial OQ SF at Ranchi, India led 2-1 after 2 rounds (i.e after 2 players from each team completed their shoots). After that 4 out of 5 Indians missed their strike. 4 out of 5! What a coach can do?

(to conclude)