New Delhi, Aug 11: Sjoerd Marijne has played his part in scripting Olympic history but the outgoing women’s hockey team chief coach still has scars of what he feels was a “disrespectful” transition back in 2018, when he was shunted from the men’s side after the Commonwealth Games disappointment.
The former Dutch player came to the country to take over the Indian women’s team in 2017 but was appointed the chief coach of the men’s side later that year.
However, in 2018, he was re-designated as the women’s coach in a rejigging of roles with Junior World Cup-winning coach Harendra Singh taking charge of the men’s side. But that bitter episode is still fresh in Marijne’s mind as he left the country after a successful four-year stint.
“Of course, I was not really happy with the transition. I was not really happy with what happened, the way it happened with the men’s team and I don’t think that was fairly respectful,” Marijne told PTI in an exclusive interview after reaching India from a medal-less but successful Olympic Games.
“But the moment I returned back to women, Savita (goalkeeper) came to my room and said ‘Listen we are really happy you are back.’ That moment for me was the changing moment. I felt OK it’s good to be there again.”
Marijne felt if given more time, he could have achieved a lot with the men’s side. “But people shouldn’t misunderstand me. It was not that I was disappointed to go back to women’s team, I was not happy the way they handled it with men’s team because I left on a really good moment. “I am happy how it ended. I am happy with what I did with the women’s team, so no grudges,” he added. (PTI)
