New Delhi, Feb 23 (IANS) Just over a month after her team failed to qualify for the Paris Olympic Games, Janneke Schopman resigned as the chief coach of the Indian women’s hockey team. She cited bias and lack of support from Hockey India as reasons for stepping down. Schopman submitted her resignation to Hockey India President Padma Shri Dr. Dilip Tirkey after the FIH Hockey Pro League in Odisha.
Schopman’s tenure was set to continue till September as she was appointed till the end of the Paris Olympic Games. The Indian women’s team finished fourth in the qualifying tournament in Ranchi, failing to secure a spot in the Olympics. She took over from former chief coach Sjoerd Marine after India’s historic fourth-place finish at the Tokyo Olympics, where she was assistant coach to Marijne.
Hockey India is now on the lookout for a new chief coach for the women’s hockey team to lead them towards the Women’s World Cup in 2026 and the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028. “It is time to begin a fresh chapter in Indian women’s hockey with the players’ progress being at the centre of our focus,” Hockey India stated on Friday. During Schopman’s tenure, India achieved success in various tournaments including the Asian Champions Trophy, FIH Nations Cup, Commonwealth Games, and Asian Games. However, disappointments came in the 2022 World Cup and the failure to qualify for the Paris Olympics.
