Exclusive: 'Proud of the players for raising almost Rs 20 lakhs' - Sjoerd Marijne opens up on Indian women hockey team's fundraiser for needy and more

The chief coach of the Indian women's hockey team, Sjoerd Marijne, in an exclusive interview with WION's Sports Editor, Digvijay Singh Deo, spoke about a lot of things ranging fromwomen team'sinitiative to raise funds for the needy amid COVID-19 pandemic, life in lockdown, sports post-coronavirus, postponement of Tokyo Olympics, idea of quarantine camps for Olympic hopefuls and much more...

Digvijay Singh Deo: Sjoerd, good to have you back on WION, how have you been all through this phase?

Sjoerd Marijne: We have been in quarantine for over 9 weeks now, so it has been a very challenging period for our team and the entire support staff, but we are trying to stay positive.

DSD: Before I get into that, I must from all of us here at WION applaud you and the team for what you all have been doing through this period of great suffering. Close to 19 lakhs raised for charity.so how did this idea come up and who were the players driving this?

Sjoerd Marijne: Thank you very much for that. I am very proud of the players for raising almost rupees 20 lakhs in these times of crisis. I think it is important for those in a privileged position to contribute to society. We have to keep a positive mindset, do what is possible rather than just think about the impossible.

Initially, the players wanted to help out but they were not familiar with the concept of fundraising. So I, along with my support staff explained the idea to them and all of them were on board. Sushila Chanu takes the lead and comes up with fitness challenges, we then post videos on our social media pages of the challenges and encourage people to undertake the task and donate to the fundraiser. The response has been truly excellent and when we see the photos of how we are positively influencing people's lives, it makes all the effort and work worth it. The whole team is enjoying this task and it is a kind of team-bonding exercise as well. We realise that we are in a position of privilege, that we do not have to struggle for essentials. Other people are not as fortunate, so we must acknowledge the reality and do what we can in this crisis.

DSD: You still have a short distance to go to accomplish the goal of 20 lakhs, Sjoerd so why don’t you use this platform to ask viewers to chip in as well. It's just a small amount but will go a long way in helping out those in need...

Sjoerd Marijne: I would like to appeal to everyone to support the noble initiative of the women's team and raise money for those who are struggling during the coronavirus crisis.

DSD: Hopefully we can close out the goal today itself. So Sjoerd personally how has this been for you. How is your family doing back in holland?

Sjoerd Marijne: Yes it is challenging, I try to video call my family at least 3-4 times a day. My wife is alone, so it is a tough situation for her and she has to keep herself protected. Earlier I used to be home for about one week every month, but now since the international borders are shut I haven't been back for over two months. The most important thing for everyone, including my family, is to take care of their health. Fortunately, I am able to speak to my family on a daily basis and I am sure we will get through this.

DSD: You in fact had tickets to go back in March but you didn’t, international travel does not look very promising at least for the next two-three months, are you feeling rather upset that you can't be with the family right now or you made the right call by staying here?

Sjoerd Marijne: Yes, I think I made the correct decision by staying in India. It would have been unfair on my part as coach of the national team to be away from the squad in a time like this. We are also a family here and we have to stick together.

DSD: Obviously you must be tracking what is going on in sport back home as well, the Eredivisie was cancelled and no winner this year. I find it extremely brilliant that all teams were on board with this and both Ajax and Alkmaar didn’t object despite being clear leaders...

Sjoerd Marijne: Yes, the Eredivisie campaign has been called off, but a lot of discussions are going on at the moment, since not everyone is happy with the way in which the decision was made. But since I am not aware of the details of the state of affairs in the Netherlands, it would be unfair on my part to comment on such matters.

DSD: How do you look at sport in general Sjoerd post this pandemic…there is talk of playing behind closed doors to finish European football seasons because there is a lot of money at stake, where do you stand on that, do you think sport can resume at this time?

Sjoerd Marijne: The most important thing at the moment to follow the guidelines of the government. They have to guide us during this period. Of course , we would love to be back on the field competing again, but that can only happen when the situation improves and when the government deems it safe enough. We can only speculate on matters, I don't think we will see any international action this year. The world is facing much bigger issues at this point in time and health has to be the top priority.

DSD: We have a rather peculiar situation here, people are stuck at home and want to see the sport. The only way to do that is behind closed doors but since you understand team sport better than us you know that there are so many people who are needed for a game to go ahead and you are putting all of them at risk…

Sjoerd Marijne: The main question is, how much risk are you willing to take in order to see sports resume? I cannot answer these questions, they are for the government and sporting authorities to address. I understand that it is frustrating for fans around the world to not watch any action, but fighting the pandemic is more important than seeing sport return. We all have to have a lot of patience in these uncertain times. There are a lot of 'what if' questions we have, but none of them has any answers. We cannot even plan for the Olympics yet next year because we don't know when international matches will resume. So, all we can do is wait for government approval and let the authorities decide when action will return.
There are much more serious problems the world is dealing with, one of my friend's mother passed away recently and no one could even attend the funeral because of the coronavirus restrictions. So, we have to look at things in perspective when we talk about sport.

DSD: Obviously sport as we know it will have to readjust and find 'new normals', what will be the changes in hockey. Obviously it is a team sport and all of you are in close proximity to each other both on the training pitch as well during matches.

Sjoerd Marijne: As I said before, we do not know what the situation will be in the next few months. Maybe there is a vaccine that is available this year, then there might not be many changes to the way we play the sport. It is too early to say for sure whether our sport will change or not once it resumes because we have no idea when it will.

DSD: I was speaking to Siegfried Aikman earlier this week and he was of the opinion that all coaches are going to have a lot of worries with the Olympics postponed. He felt team dynamics would take a hit with some players having originally planned to retire after the 2020 games. For you with the Indian team what is the road ahead?

Sjoerd Marijne: I was obviously disappointed that the Olympics were postponed, but I got over it quickly and started thinking of ways to prepare for the 2021 games. We have a very young squad and this one more year of preparation might prove to be a positive for us.

Janneke Schopman, our analytical coach, is a great addition to our team and her inputs will certainly make us stronger, fortunately, we don't have players who are thinking about retirement over the next couple of years. Obviously the postponement means that we have to go back to square one, in terms of our preparation. But there are ways to deal with these circumstances by being mentally strong and not stressing about things that are beyond our control. I see a lot of potential growth for this team over the next year and hopefully, we will be able to play matches soon.

DSD: The team was starting to peak and perhaps 12 more months could be perfect for you and make India proper medal contenders?

Sjoerd Marijne: Yes, it can work in our favour but we have to wait. Only practice will not help , we will need to play competitive matches for the team to grow. That is why it is important to be patient and wait for the situation to get better. The girls have been training individually for the last nine weeks now and they need a well-deserved break. So, as soon as the lockdown ends, they will be free to return to their families.

DSD: As a coach how do you now prepare for the Olympics 15 months away without knowing when you will be allowed to train normally or even travel to play matches, so do you think it is a journey into the unknown for you?

Sjoerd Marijne: Yes, it is a real challenge. But we have to adapt and make the best of what we have. I can still control the daily sessions have with my team, we work on strength and conditioning and also analyse other teams. These are the things that I am keeping myself and the team busy with. Everything else is out of my control so I do not waste my time in dwelling on those issues. I have accepted the prevailing situation and try to stay positive. There are much more important things at stake right now and we as a team realise that. A lot of the girls in our team come from poor backgrounds and they understand how difficult it is for families to make ends meet.

DSD: The IOA wants all Olympic hopefuls and those qualified to be put into quarantine camps where training can continue. Now you have been in one such camp for more than a month where no outsiders are allowed. How helpful will this be and what advantage will it give to India's sportspersons as not all countries have such large campuses to get their players together?

Sjoerd Marijne: We have to follow the guidelines of the government. It would be extremely helpful to our team if we can play hockey, but we will only do it once the approval comes from the government. We have been in quarantine for the last nine weeks, and since the national lockdown was introduced, no one has been allowed to enter the SAI campus in Bengaluru, nor has anyone from inside the campus been allowed to go out. So, fortunately, we are safe here. In some other countries as well, like Germany and the Netherlands, teams have started training. So I'm not sure if India will get a head-start on other teams in terms of preparation. Other countries do not have huge centres as we do in India, but it is still possible for them to train. I think once the situation gets better in India, the government can introduce the quarantine-like camps for other sports as well.

DSD: Ialways like to end on an optimistic note, so what is the most important lesson that you have learnt from this crisis?

Sjoerd Marijne: I think I have learned to deal with things on a daily basis. I keep making short term goals for myself to make it easier to overcome the problem. I do not keep dwelling on the fact that I am away from my family, because it will only take away the positivity out of me and that will have an adverse effect on me and the women's team.