Sjoerd Marijne returns to Indian hockey; Dutchman takes charge of women's team for second time

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.

On his return to India, after a historic stint between 2017 to 2021 where the Indian Women's Team rose in world ranking making it to top 10, Marijne said: "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."

Marijne's first big challenge as Chief Coach will be the FIH Hockey Women's World Cup Qualifiers in Hyderabad, Telangana from 8th March to 14th March 2026. Marijne will arrive in India on 14th January while the National Coaching Camp begins on 19th January in SAI, Bengaluru.