India women’s hockey team head coach Sjoerd Marijne on Monday reacted to a controversial decision during his team’s group-stage game against China on Sunday involving a China penalty stroke that got the side level at 1-1.
The Paris Olympics silver medallist won a penalty stroke at the end of the opening quarter, which Ying Zhang converted to cancel out Navneet Kaur’s opener five minutes earlier.
However, replays showed that the China player had dragged the ball a few inches in front of the spot and then chipped it into the goal.
Reacting on his social media account, Marijne posted the replays and said: “Good to know this is apparently not dragging. The reaction of the rules committee from the FIH after asking for clarification is that this clip of the penalty stroke is not dragging.”
Marijne criticising the officiating during the India vs China hockey match.
| Photo Credit:
Screengrab
Marijne criticising the officiating during the India vs China hockey match.
| Photo Credit:
Screengrab
However, only a couple of hours later, he deleted his post.
According to the FIH rules, section 13.7, “the player taking the penalty stroke must push, flick or scoop the ball and is permitted to raise it to any height. Using a ‘dragging’ action to play the ball at a penalty stroke is not permitted.”
Marijne also blasted the match officials on Sunday after the game, upset about his team not being awarded a penalty corner in the closing minutes of the game.
“I think the result will be different if we got that PC in the end but I don’t want to talk about the decisions from the referees. That is the way it is, we have to deal with that,” he told PTI in the mixed zone.
A 2-2 result against the World No. 4 was still a major positive for Marijne’s side, which next takes on South Africa on Tuesday.
Published on Aug 17, 2026
