Sjoerd Marijne (ANI Photo) Dutchman Sjoerd Marijne was on Friday reappointed as the head coach of the Indian women’s hockey team, marking a return to familiar territory after he was instrumental in the team’s historic fourth-place finish at the Tokyo Olympics.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SIGN UP NOW!The 51-year-old was earlier linked with the Indian women’s team from 2017 to 2021, a period that saw the side break into the world top 10 and come within touching distance of an Olympic medal in Tokyo. Marijne now returns with the task of building on this progress and has a key year ahead of her.
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Marijne will be supported by Matias Vila, who will join as analytical coach. Former Argentina midfielder Vila made his international debut in 1997 and represented his country at the 2000 Sydney and 2004 Athens Olympics. Since then, he has spent more than two decades in coaching.Wayne Lombard rejoins the Indian squad to serve as Scientific Advisor and Head of Sports Performance. Lombardo will be assisted by Rodet Yila and Ciara Yila, both named scientific advisors.“It’s great to be back. After 4.5 years I return with fresh energy and a clear vision to support the growth of the team and help the players reach their full potential on the world stage,” wrote Marijne on X. Marijne’s first big task will be qualifying for the Women’s World Cup to be held in Hyderabad, Telangana from March 8-14. He is expected to arrive in India on January 14, with the National Coaching Camp starting on January 19 at the Sports Authority of India (SAI) center in Bengaluru.Hockey India President Dr Dilip Tirkey welcomed the appointment: “We welcome Sjoerd Marijne and the entire support staff to the Indian hockey family. He also thanked the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports and SAI for speeding up the process, adding that fitness – one of the pillars of India’s success in Tokyo – will once again be a key focus in the new venue.”
