File image of Indian girls’s hockey workforce coach Janneke Schopman
| Photograph Credit score: BISWARANJAN ROUT
Minutes after the Indian girls’s workforce’s Olympic qualification hopes ended, the primary thought for most individuals was about the way forward for coach Janneke Schopman. It may appear untimely however that’s the way it has been in Indian hockey — Graham Reid had despatched in his resignation the day the 2023 males’s World Cup completed.
Whereas Schopman herself was non-committal — “I don’t know” was all she mentioned when requested about her future — Hockey India president Dilip Tirkey took a extra balanced view.
“I can’t say something proper now, it’s too contemporary. However we’ll take a look at the long run plans and speak to everybody involved — the federation, coaches, gamers and the selectors — after which resolve. However the growth plan will proceed on this path. For us, girls are as a lot a precedence as the boys. There is a vital event each two years, so we have to maintain that in thoughts,” Tirkey mentioned.
However as a participant who has seen the highs and lows of Indian hockey, Tirkey was understanding of the state of affairs. “We’ve no main considerations in regards to the coach. If you happen to see the best way the workforce is taking part in, we’ve carried out nicely in latest occasions. In the previous couple of tournaments, we received bronze on the Asian Video games after which received the Asian Champions Trophy. We beat Japan in each the tournaments simply.
“Right here additionally, I received’t say we had been very dangerous, particularly should you think about the absence of key gamers in each division — Vandana Katariya (ahead), Sushila Chanu (midfield) and Deep Grace Ekka (defence). I might say we had been excellent in opposition to Germany,” he defined.
“If we couldn’t create possibilities or get penalty corners or match the opposition then sure, perhaps you may query. But when gamers are unable to transform on area, you can’t blame the coach. We fought again in opposition to Germany and Savita gave us a 2-Zero lead within the shootouts additionally however we couldn’t retain it. As we speak we received 9 PCs however couldn’t convert. If you happen to don’t rating you may’t win. I might say we misplaced our possibilities however guilty the coach can be unfair,” he mentioned.
Of the three gamers he talked about, Vandana and Sushila are injured whereas Deep Grace, for causes unknown, has been out of the workforce. Sources mentioned she has already knowledgeable HI about her want to stop worldwide hockey for private causes. HI officers and among the selectors insisted that they had requested her to proceed a minimum of until the Olympics however the Odisha veteran had declined.
India performs its subsequent aggressive recreation in 15 days and whereas the Professional League might not have the identical significance now with out an Olympics to stay up for, any resolution might want to have in mind India’s future schedule over the subsequent two years main as much as the 2026 World Cup.
There have been rumours of sections of Hockey India being sad with Schopman and eager to sack her quickly after the Asian Video games earlier than Tirkey took a stand in opposition to it, citing the Qualifiers. This time round, it might be a harder process.