New Delhi [India], January 2 (ANI): Hockey India on Friday announced the appointment of Sjoerd Marijne as the Chief Coach of the Indian Women's Hockey Team, according to a press release.

The Dutchman returns to the Indian set-up after a historic performance at the Tokyo Olympic Games, when the team finished 4th in only their second appearance at the quadrennial event in more than 36 years.

Marijne will be supported by Matias Vila as Analytical Coach. Vila is a former midfielder from Argentina who made his international debut in 1997 and competed in the 2000 Sydney Olympics and the 2004 Athens Olympics for Argentina. He has been involved in coaching over the past two decades.

Also making his return to the Indian hockey scene is Dr Wayne Lombard, as Scientific Advisor and Head of Athletic Performance. He will be supported by Rodet Yila and Ciara Yila, both in the role of Scientific Advisor.

On his return to India, after a historic stint between 2017 to 2021 where the Indian Women's Team rose in world ranking making it to top 10, Marijne said: 'It's great to be back. After 4.5 years, I return with fresh energy and a clear vision to support the team's growth and help the players achieve their full potential on the world stage.'

Speaking about his appointment, Hockey India President Dilip Tirkey said, 'We welcome Sjoerd Marijne, and the entire support staff to the Indian Hockey family. We extend our gratitude to the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports (MYAS) and Sports Authority of India (SAI) for expediting the appointment in order to ensure the team's preparations for the upcoming World Cup Qualifiers is not hampered. Emphasis has a been laid on fitness of the team which was one of the key reasons for Indian Women's historic performance in Tokyo. We look forward to a fruitful stint.'

Hockey India Secretary General Bhola Nath Singh reflected similar views and said, 'We wish Sjoerd Marijne and the rest of the support staff the very best in their endeavours. Sjoerd comes with the understanding of the team, many players in the core group have already played under him. We now expect this team to perform well especially with the Asian Games coming up and the World Cup Qualifier.'

Marijne's first big challenge as Chief Coach will be the FIH Hockey Women's World Cup Qualifiers in Hyderabad, Telangana from 8th March to 14th March 2026. Marijne will arrive in India on 14th January while the National Coaching Camp begins on 19th January in SAI, Bengaluru. (ANI)