Janneke Schopman was grinning ear-to-ear while hugging the support staff as her team jumped in joy after Odisha Warriors won the women’s Hockey India League (HIL) on Sunday evening.
The head coach was high-fiving and embracing her players before having a moment of solitude in the middle, looking down at the blue turf of the Marang Gomke Jaipal Singh Munda Astro Turf Hockey Stadium.
It was exactly a year ago on this pitch that the Schopman-coached Indian women’s team failed to win a ticket to Paris, missing the Olympics after qualifying for the previous two editions in 2016 and 2021.
The Dutchwoman then had a meltdown where she told the media that she wasn’t valued and respected by Hockey India (HI) and that the country is “extremely difficult for women”. She then resigned and left Indian shores. Expectedly, the 47-year-old — who won the 2006 World Cup and the 2008 Olympics as a Dutch player — faced backlash from the Indian hockey community.
So, when she returned to India in October 2024 for the HIL auction, it wasn’t exactly the most comfortable position, seeing the same faces who had criticised her for the comments. But the former India chief coach hadn’t returned to make friends, rather make the best team for the HIL.
“The fact that she knew the players was very helpful. She also knows the European players. In the auction, she created the best team which eventually helped them win HIL,” former India chief coach Sjoerd Marijne said from the Netherlands. Marijne was Schopman’s predecessor and is now the assistant coach of the Netherlands women’s team.
Having first-hand knowledge of the Indian setup and conditions helped Schopman build a strong team with a healthy mix of experience and youth. For example, in defence she bought the extremely reliable and now retired Deep Grace Ekka and paired her up with the dynamic Ishika Chaudhary on the two flanks. In midfield, she brought the quick Neha Goyal, made her skipper, along with young players like Baljeet Kaur and Nisha.
But significantly, for scoring and defending goals, she bought the best in the world with Michelle Fillet and Freeke Moes as strikers and the world’s best drag-flicker, Yibbi Jansen, in for penalty corners (PC) — all from the Netherlands. In the goal, she put in the experienced Jocelyn Bartram from Australia, who eventually conceded the least number of goals in the entire tournament (6).
“I’m quite happy with the balance (of the team). If you have more speed in the forward line, it just means that you can create more opportunities,” Schopman said in the mixed zone after Odisha Warriors won the title.
“You see how important Yibbi (top scorer of the HIL) has been for us. Even in a game where we had only 2-3 PCs, she scored the first or the second and we were in the game again. It’s nice to coach a team that has a very good PC (setup).”
While the other coaches took time to know the players and get them to form a team, Schopman’s Warriors had already taken off. She used her personal relations with both Indian and foreign athletes (mostly Dutch), introducing them to each other, making them to gel quickly. She ensured that especially the Indian juniors, whom she also coached during her four-year stint here, spend more time with the foreign players.
“The players were talking to each other. That’s a big benefit. That means there’s more depth. For the domestic junior players, it was a great opportunity and experience,” said Schopman.
The best example of a junior player evolving was Rutaja Dadaso Pisal, whose brace helped the Warriors win the final 2-1. Schopman knew the striker well as she was in the junior programme when the Dutchwoman was India coach. Having seen her exploits in the national camp, Scopman knew the energy and speed Rutaja possesses.
“Whatever she said about India etc., all that controversy is another story. But as a coach she performed her duty. A lot of our girls who hadn’t played under her got to learn from her. I met and congratulated her. She did a good job,” said former India skipper and Dronacharya awardee Pritam Rani Siwach, eight of whose proteges played the HIL final.
Schopman, who now coaches the junior girls in Germany, has turned a chapter, redeeming herself at the same venue where she had suffered a big jolt in January 2024.
“I don’t look back much. I came here because I really like the people in the franchise. Odisha is close to my heart. The state cares so much for hockey and if I can contribute to bring some prizes to Odisha then it’s a big honour for me,” said Schopman.
“I’m happy for the girls. I’m also happy for myself and the staff. I’m here because I love hockey. I love coaching. It was a great challenge because I’ve never done the whole different countries, bringing them together. It was really fun to do. And now I’m just happy we won.”
