‘We have to do it over and over’: Sjoerd Marijne on India’s next challenge

Kolkata: India’s best World Cup finish in 52 years has given the women’s hockey team a significant boost in confidence, but coach Sjoerd Marijne believes the real challenge is to sustain that level. In an exclusive conversation with TOI, the Dutchman reflected on India’s campaign, the team’s growing discipline and belief, and the challenges ahead at the Asian Games. Excerpts...What do you think helped this team compete so consistently?I think the discipline, the structure, the talent, the belief and working as a unit made the difference.Since you took over the team, what changes have you seen in the players?From the beginning until now, I have seen them enjoying themselves more. They are having fun with each other, they are bonding and they understand the culture and what we want to achieve.What do you think this World Cup has changed in the team?The most important thing is that we believe more in ourselves and we have proven that we can achieve at a high level. It’s not just about saying we can do it, we actually did it.Do you feel we have now taken a step towards becoming a top-level side?We did really well in the tournament, but it doesn’t say anything about the future. The fact that we now beat Germany doesn’t mean we are always going to beat them. The girls have seen that we can do it. I don’t have to tell them anymore because we have proven we can do it. But now we have to do it over and over.What will be the biggest challenge in the Asian Games?I know the expectations are higher now. After the World Cup, everybody now expects more and so do the girls themselves. That’s fine. But we also have to learn to deal with that and we have to focus on ourselves.Get the latest Sports News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.