In the final few minutes, Sjoerd Marijne was pacing up and down the sidelines as India was clinging on against England’s barrage of attacks.
Marijne could only helplessly watch on as his team heroically defended to clinch India’s place in the second round of the World Cup. After the final hooter went off, nerves gave way to smiles. He called over his family, including his wife, son and daughter, from the stands in for a tight embrace.
“My nerves were really high,” Marijne said of the final stretch. “I’m also just a human being and it was very exciting.”
In the last two quarters alone, India had to defend against eight Penalty Corners, while keeping out 12 overall.
“A lot of PC’s against us but I think we defended really, really well. That’s a big step we have made,” the Dutchman said.
ALSO READ | India holds England to draw, advances to Women’s Hockey World Cup 2026 second round
Marijne also hailed his team’s defensive structure in the face of mounting pressure from England, but called for improvement with its own attacking Penalty Corners. “I’m really proud of the team, how they fought this match and how we stayed in the structure.”
The tactician will now have the daunting task of preparing the team against the country of his birth, Netherlands — a juggernaut of the women’s game. But the women in saffron will only have less than 24 hours to gear up for the key fixture, while the Dutch had an extra day to prepare for this fixture. But he refused to criticise the scheduling.
“For us, it’s of course not good. But I don’t want to make a big thing of it. We just have to accept and deal with it. It’s on others to say if it’s fair or not fair,” said the 52-year-old.
Among the underdogs at this World Cup, this team has achieved its first realistic objective set out by Marijne in making the top eight. Since his return to this team in January, his team has been on an upward trajectory with its results and performances. The draws against China and England, who are ranked above India, have further raised the ceiling of this transitional group.
“It’s nice. And I said a few months ago, the process will always have ups and downs. But so far, there have been a lot of ups. We are learning from every match, including today. And to get rewarded with the next pool stage, that’s, of course, is amazing,” he said.
Published on Aug 20, 2026
