Coach Sjoerd Marijne remains one of the few constants in volatile Indian hockey
Sundeep Misra
Sjoerd Marijne has managed both India men's and women's teams. Hockey India
Sjoerd Marijne stood at the edge of the hockey pitch at the Maulana Bhasani hockey stadium in Dhaka. India had just won the Asia Cup beating Malaysia 2-1 in the final. In one corner, the Indian team posed with the trophy. One-by-one, the flood lights were being switched off. Marijne was not in a hurry. The Bhasani stadium authorities wanted to wrap things up. Summing up the win, Marijne said, “It’s a first step with the men’s team and it’s good we won. But there is a lot to do before we can be considered a very good team.” To go with the Asia Cup gold, Marijne then took the men’s team to a bronze in the HWL Finals in Bhubaneswar. It was followed by a second-place finish in a double leg four-nation tournament in New Zealand.