Janneke Schopman, the coach of the Indian women's hockey team, stepped down from her role on February 23, shortly after voicing concerns over unequal treatment from the sport's administrators in the country. Hockey India announced that Schopman tendered her resignation to HI President Dilip Tirkey following the women's team's participation in the home leg of the FIH Hockey Pro League.
The organization is actively searching for a new coach to lead the team in preparation for the 2026 Women's World Cup and the 2028 Olympics, as stated by the governing body.
“The Dutch coach submitted her resignation to Hockey India President Dilip Tirkey after the conclusion of Indian Women’s Hockey Team’s outing in the home leg of the FIH Hockey Pro League in Odisha,” said Hockey India in a press release.
India failed to qualify for the Olympics following a 0-1 defeat to Japan in the third-place playoff match of the FIH Olympic Qualifiers in Ranchi.
I come from a culture where women are respected and valued: Schopman
During a post-match media interaction on Sunday, following India's shootout victory over the USA in an FIH Pro League match in Rourkela, Schopman became emotional. With tears in her eyes, the coach accused various sport stakeholders of treating her and her team unfairly.
"Because I come from a culture where women are respected and valued. I don’t feel that here. From not very many people – and I do feel people working here on the ground are amazing from Hockey India. But I feel it’s so hard," Schopman had said, as quoted by The New Indian Express.
"I look at the difference in how men’s coaches are treated between me and the men’s coach, or the girls and the men’s team, just in general. They never complain and they work so hard. I am not saying, I don’t know, I don’t know why and I shouldn’t speak for them so I won’t.
"I love them. I think they work so hard, they do what I ask, they wanna learn, wanna do new things but for me personally coming from the Netherlands, having worked in the USA, this country is extremely difficult as a woman, coming from a culture where, yeah, you can have an opinion and it’s valued. It’s really hard," she added.
How India fared in Schopman's reign?
Following India's fourth-place finish at the Tokyo Olympics, Schopman assumed the role of head coach, having served as the analytical coach for the Indian women's hockey team since January 2020. She stepped up to the head coaching position after the Tokyo Olympics when Sjoerd Marijne, the former head coach, chose not to renew his contract, opening the door for Schopman's ascendancy.
Under Schopman's stewardship, the Indian women's hockey team has navigated through ups and downs. The team suffered a major disappointment by failing to secure a spot in the Paris Olympics, a setback that followed a string of notable successes. These achievements include securing bronze medals at both the 2022 Asian Games and the Commonwealth Games, finishing third in the 2021-22 Pro League, and winning the inaugural FIH Women's Nations Cup in 2022.
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