Hockey India's decision to reappoint Sjoerd Marijne as the Chief Coach of the Indian women's hockey team has brought back memories of a major controversy that marked the latter phase of the Dutchman's
earlier stint with the national setup.
While Marijne is widely credited for guiding the women's team to a historic fourth-place finish at the Tokyo Olympics, his tenure also ended on a contentious note following explosive claims made in his book published in 2022.
On Friday, Hockey India confirmed Marijne's return ahead of a crucial phase for the women's team, with the FIH Hockey Women's World Cup Qualifiers scheduled to be held in Hyderabad in March 2026. The appointment, however, comes with the baggage of past allegations that once put Indian hockey's internal dynamics under intense scrutiny.
The controversy erupted after the release of Marijne's book 'Will Power - The Inside Story of the Incredible Turnaround in Indian Women's Hockey', in which he alleged that Indian men's team captain Manpreet Singh had asked a young player to "stop playing well" during the 2018 Commonwealth Games so that his friends could make the team. He even made shocking claims about the women's team, labelling few players as 'lesbians'. The claims sparked outrage across the Indian hockey fraternity.
In an unprecedented move, the Indian men's and women's hockey teams issued a joint statement condemning Marijne's accusations. The players accused the former coach of exploiting confidential information from his time with the teams for commercial gain, calling the allegations "false and fabricated. " They also announced their intention to pursue legal action against both Marijne and the publisher, HarperCollins India, citing a breach of trust and duty of care.
The teams questioned why Marijne had not formally reported the alleged incident to Hockey India or the Sports Authority of India at the time, stating that no official complaint had been found on record. They argued that the claims unfairly questioned the integrity of the players and risked damaging the reputation of Indian hockey.
Marijne's earlier coaching journey with India had been eventful. He was first appointed men's team coach in 2017 but was removed after a disappointing campaign at the 2018 Commonwealth Games. He later took charge of the women's team and oversaw a remarkable rise in performances and rankings, culminating in India narrowly missing out on an Olympic medal in Tokyo.
Despite the past friction, Hockey India has now turned to Marijne once again, citing continuity, experience and his understanding of the team's core group. As he prepares to begin his second stint, all eyes will be on whether the focus remains firmly on performance and preparation-or whether echoes of past controversies resurface alongside India's renewed Olympic and World Cup ambitions.
