Who is India's women's hockey team coach? Meet Sjoerd Marijne who is leading from the back

The Indian women's hockey team has made history by beating Australia by a solitary goal in the quarterfinal to reach the semi-finals of the Tokyo Olympics 2020. While Indians praised the women in blue for making history on the pitch, one man who stood out was the team’s head coach Sjoerd Marijne. A Dutch by birth, Marijne just became a hero a long way away from his home. The coach who is believed to have moulded the team to reach their current potential will now look to further prolong his stay in Tokyo and bring India the gold.

Who is Indian women's hockey team coach

Hailing from Hertogenbosch, Netherlands, Sjoerd Marijne was not always a fan favourite among Indian hockey fans. Since his introduction to India and its hockey team, Marijne took some time to settle in. Marijne had coached the Dutch senior women's team and its U-21 men's team and some club outfits before being handed the coach’s cap of the Indian team. It came as a surprise for many when Marijne first left the coach position of the Indian women's hockey team in 2017.

The 47-year-old went on to coach the Indian senior men's team just before the 2018 Commonwealth Games. However, the team fared poorly in the tournament, and Marijne was brought back to the women's hockey team in the same year. Picking up from a weak start in 2018, Marijne came a long way to guide the women’s team to a historic semi-final spot in the Olympic Games in Tokyo when India defeated world No. 2 Australia 1-0 in the quarterfinal at the Oi Hockey Stadium in Tokyo.

Marijne’s journey with the women’s team had hit a rough patch when they suffered a loss to Japan in the final of the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta. However, the team stuck with the coach and continued to practice for the next event. The coach has so far helped the team play a total of 78 matches across 18 competitions. Despite any possible result of the semi-finals, Marijne has already become a fan favourite for many Indians.

Coach Marijne's Indian side makes history at the Tokyo Olympics 2020

Following the win in India vs Australia quarter-finals, Sjoerd Marijne looked ecstatic. The coach later tweeted a picture with the team and apologised to his family for extending his stay at the Tokyo Olympics. He wrote, "Sorry family, I coming again later". The entry into the semi-final is the best performance by an Indian women's hockey side since they made their Olympic debut in Moscow in 1980. The Indian women's hockey side had finished 4th in the six-team edition in the 1980 Olympics. India Women will lock horns against Argentina in the semifinal Wednesday, August 4. 

IMAGE: TWITTER