[ad_1]
Indian players try to revert the ball from their goal mouth against Germany during the FIH PRO Hockey League (Women) in Kalinga stadium in Bhubaneswar.
| Photo Credit: BISWARANJAN ROUT
It was billed as the battle between the Indian women’s hockey team’s past and future, and in the first round of the FIH Pro League, it was former coach Janneke Schopman who triumphed, leading Germany to a 4-0 victory over Harendra Singh’s team.
While Schopman was diplomatic in her assessment of the game, Harendra blamed the girls for “giving too much respect” to the opposition. “I think they had that on the ground and you cannot do that. One or two players is understandable but you cannot go into a shell as a team. You have to learn from discussions in the dressing room. And you have to show character, show you are hungry to win the game,” a blunt Harendra said after the match.
Schopman admitted it was not easy to be in the rival dugout after her time with the Indians till last year. “It was hard for me, to be honest. Both the teams hadn’t won against Spain so we knew there was a lot at stake in this match. I know we can play good hockey but I also know India really well, and I was worried about all the strengths they have. As a coach, you also have to decide how much information to share. The weather also hurt us, we couldn’t play our own game or move the ball in the back, which meant we had to change a little bit. But we played really well,” she explained.
With rain pouring through a large part of the game, it made things difficult for both sides, with the ball gripping the surface and movement restricted. Harendra admitted India did not adapt to the conditions.
“If there’s rain, the pitch will be heavy and the ball will behave differently. But they kept waiting when they should have started intercepting the ball, reaching for it. Instead, the Germans managed to get there. You have to show your character, determination and hunger. Someone has to step up and lead on the field. There was no communication, everyone just ran around unnecessarily and wasted energy,” he complained.
Germany is in a rebuilding phase after several retirements post-Paris Olympics and while it has already qualified for the World Cup, Schopman insisted the team had important targets at the Pro League.
“As a team you are always busy being better. What is at stake here is for a lot of players to make sure they cement their place in the team, that they become someone that can play in the European Championships in their own country. They have dreams and goals and I think as a team, we are deciding who do we want to be on the world stage, use these games to the best of our abilities,” she declared.
India, yet to qualify, has its task cut out in the remaining matches before the Asia Cup and the Europe leg of the Pro League. Even though the team appears to be struggling in every department, Harendra insisted it was a better team than Germany. “We have far better fitness than them but we did not play like that. If we had played even close to our potential, we could have easily won today,” he rued.
Published – February 22, 2025 10:29 am IST
[ad_2]
FIH Pro League: In Indian women’s past vs future, Janneke Schopman takes Round One, as Germany coach
