BENGALURU: The Indian women's hockey team continues to bask in the warm afterglow of winning the gold medal at the Asian Games. China, the reigning Olympic silver medallists, were favourites to seal qualification for the LA Olympics in 2028, but Sjoerd Marijne's charges upset the odds, winning gold for the first time in 44 years. In an interview with The New Indian Express, the Dutchman spoke about the process, where this win will rank in his career and what the next two years will entail. Excerpts...
How has this process been for you over the last 10-11 months, since coming back as coach?
When you come, you want to achieve big things. You have big plans in your mind with respect to where you want to take this team. The moment you see that goal… it feels incredible.
When you came in, what were the things you told yourself? And what were the things you told the players?
What I told myself wasn't a lot. It was basically, 'let's see what we can make of this'. I mean, I wanted to give myself time to know the players, to get to know the players I didn't know. Okay, I had heard some stories from the past. I got… I had gathered some information… what worked, what didn't work well.
That is the first thing as coach. What are you doing as coach, and what can we improve on on short notice? We had 11 injuries, and that's why, for me, it was important to get Wayne Lombard. But I also saw the potential in the side. I knew the potential of the young players, and I also saw what had happened with respect to the culture, the unity… these kinds of things. From day one, I started focussing on these points. For me, those conversations with the players were easy. But for the ones to receive, it can be difficult because I'm very straightforward. I'm very honest and direct. It means that the players have to deal with the honesty and directness. When it goes well, it's easy. But when it doesn't go well, it's sometimes difficult for them to process.
You had spoken about how this wasn't the most united team you had ever seen. When was the first time you saw that changing?
There was no one specific moment; these are always small steps. I could see that, yeah, at the World Cup qualifiers (in Hyderabad in March), when we had already started that process (of becoming a team). We are now a proper unit.
What are some behind-the-scenes changes that you have implemented?
I know everybody wants to hear the big secret. The big secret is day-in, day-out work; the small things. When a player shows the wrong attitude or a positive attitude on the pitch, how do you deal with it? The whole day, as a coach, you take decisions. You take decisions that you think are good for the team and good for the individual. These kinds of decisions come from the perspective of what kind of culture you want to create in the team. The small things: the decisions the girls take individually. Are they taking it for themselves, or is it a team decision? Is this good for the team? Is this good for your personal needs? That is the whole process, and it's not just on any one thing, as I said earlier. It's also about focusing on one goal. To have that one singular mindset; to be together and involve others. To deal with feedback, to give feedback and to be the best version of yourself. All these things have to be good. And the process doesn't stop now. We have won the Asian Games; now we go to the Olympics (and aim to do those same things).
Which tournament has given you the most satisfaction?
The World Cup. The game against Germany was the game where everything fell into place. We felt like this was the way we needed to play. Also, the last quarter against the Netherlands. We were really, really good.
We had good ball possession, and we created opportunities. In the World Cup, for me, it was more... we had many good moments in matches, but we were not consistent enough. (8:19) But the good moments in the matches gave me a very good feeling. It meant that, in a few moments in the match, we were capable of being dominant. And to create things against the best in the world, it gives, of course, confidence.
That gold medal against China. How much did that mean to you on a personal level?
I have not been thinking about it, but a good question. I don't only get satisfaction from titles. I also get satisfaction from the process. For me, the 4th place at the (Tokyo) Olympics still feels more special than the Asian Games. That is because I think the whole process was four and a half years to the Olympics. Nobody expected this (Asian Games gold), and everybody expected us to play against China in the final. I think there was also an honest expectation from the team, so everything was about that one match against China. So, yeah, the Olympics is top, but the Asian Games gold will be a very good No. 2 on my list.
How much of a relief is it that you can start planning for the Olympics from today?
We don't have to deal with what-ifs. We don't have to be busy with that. On the other hand, the challenge is to keep the group. I like to take the group outside their comfort zone and see them performing in matches where they need to perform. We now have only the Pro League for that. But I prefer this challenge more than the other one (still needing to qualify for the Olympics).