Sjoerd Marijne will take over as the head coach of the Indian women’s hockey team for the second time after the Dutchman was appointed by Hockey India on Friday. It was under Marijne that the Indian women’s hockey team secured a historic fourth-place finish at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics – their only second appearance in more than 36 years.
Matias Vila, who represented Argentina in two Olympics – 2000 (Sydney) and 2004 (Athens), will serve as an analytical coach to Marijne. Vila has been involved in coaching over the past two decades. Along with Marijne, Scientific Advisor and Head of Athletic Performance, Dr Wayne Lombard is also making a return to India.
He will be supported by Rodet Yila and Ciara Yila, both in the role of Scientific Advisor. “It’s great to be back. After 4.5 years, I return with fresh energy and a clear vision to support the team’s growth and help the players achieve their full potential on the world stage,” said Marijne.
It was under Marijne, that the Indian women’s hockey team entered the top 10 of the FIH World Rankings during his time between 2017 and 2021. India women are currently placed 10 in the FIH Rankings.
Before his first stint with Hockey India, Marijne had guided the Netherlands U-21 women to a World Cup silverware and also won gold medal with the senior Dutch women’s side at the Hockey World League.
Sjoerd Marijne’s first stint with Indian team
A former Dutch hockey player, Marijne was first appointed as the head coach of the Indian women’s hockey team in 2017. However, he was named the men’s team head coach the next year. But Marijne was re-designated to his women’s team job in 2018.
During his time as the India women’s team head coach, Marijne took the Indian team to great heights. The Indian women’s team came close to winning their first-ever Olympics title, but lost the bronze-medal match to Great Britain 3-4. Soon after the match, Marijne announced his departure.
While exact reason of Marijne’s departure wasn’t revealed, an ESPN report suggested that not being able to see his family for 16 long months due to COVID-19 travel restrictions, forced the Dutchman to leave the India job.
When will Sjoerd Marijne take over for 2nd time?
In his second stint with the Indian women’s hockey team, Marijne will arrive in India on January 14. The national camp at the Sports Authority of India (SAI) Bengaluru will start on January 19. His first big challenge will be the FIH Hockey Women’s World Cup Qualifiers in Hyderabad, Telangana from March 8 to March 14 2026.
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