India Women’s Hockey Team Likely To Get New Chief Coach As Janneke Schopman’s Future Lies In Limbo
New Delhi: The future of Indian women’s hockey team head coach Janneke Schopman lies uncertain as the Dutchwoman is unlikely to get a contract extension following the eves’ poor performances. It was under Schopman that Indian women failed to qualify for the Paris Olympics in the qualifiers that took place at home in Ranchi. Schopman’s association with Hockey India lies back in the days when Sjoerd Marijne was the head coach. She was the analytical coach of the side during the Marijne era and was a part of the Indian contingent that finished historic fourth at Tokyo Olympics.
With Marijne stepping down after Tokyo Olympics heroics, Schopman was given the role of the head coach. “Her contract ends in July-August (Till Paris Olympics). Let us see what happens, I can’t tell anything at this point of time,” a HI source told PTI.
Under Schopman, India’s best results came at 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games and Asian Games 2023 where they won bronze on both occasions. A gold at the Asian Games would have directly sealed India women’s place at Paris Games.
In the Olympic Qualifiers earlier this year in Ranchi, India lost to Japan in the bronze medal play-off with three top teams from the tournament sealing their berths for the Paris Games. To add more, Schopman’s relationship with Hockey India secretary general Bholanath Singh too turned sour.
It became bad to worse after her recent outburst in the media following India’s last FIH Pro League game at home against USA, where she claimed that she didn’t get the value and respect from some quarters of the national federation during her tenure here.
Schopman, an Olympic gold medallist, also claimed that she felt “alone a lot in the last two years”, and was critical of the differential treatment meted out to the women’s team compared to the men’s side. According to sources, Schopman, 46, wants higher salary at par with the men’s team chief coach Craig Fulton and this was precisely the reason behind her recent rant.
“To demand higher salary what matters is results. She has done well with the girls but recent results are not in her favour,” the source said. Schopman’s next assignment with the Indian women’s team is the European leg of the FIH Pro League in May.