Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], July 11 (ANI): Chief Coach of the Indian women’s hockey team, Sjoerd Marijne, has urged his players to put the team’s objectives ahead of individual ambitions as they prepare for the 20th Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya 2026, scheduled to be held in Japan from September 19 to October 4.
Hockey India on Friday announced the 20-member Indian women’s squad for the upcoming Asian Games, with Salima Tete to continue captaining the side, having led the team to FIH Nations Cup triumph in New Zealand last month.
Speaking to ANI after the squad announcement, Coach Marijne urged his players to stay focused on their individual roles while prioritising the team’s goals over personal ambitions, stressing that collective success will naturally lead to individual achievements.
He added that this mindset has benefited the team in recent months and is something he continues to reinforce.
“One piece of advice for players is to focus on your own task and do that as well as possible, and focus on the team goal, not your individual goal, because if you focus on the team goal, you will reach your individual goal, but not the other way around. And that has been very positive the last months and very good, but that is something that I keep reminding them of,” he told ANI.
Marijne praised Salima for leading by example and inspiring younger players with her energy on the field. He also highlighted the leadership contributions of senior players such as Navneet Kaur, Sushila Chanu, Savita, Bichu Devi, Nikki Pradhan, and Neha Goyal, saying their collective guidance helps set high standards for the rest of the team.
“I think she’s a good example for the younger players. She leads by example. She is the one in the pitch with a lot of others, but also giving the right example. She brings her energy over to the rest of the team. But she is not alone in this. Navneet Kaur is someone who’s guarding the more tactical side. We have Sushila, we have Savita, we have Bichu, Nikki, Neha Goyal, so a lot of players are supporting Salima, and if all these players give a good example and lead by example, then it’s easier for the rest to follow and to match that level,” he said.
The Indian team clinched the FIH Hockey Women’s Nations Cup New Zealand 2025-26 title last month with a commanding 2-0 victory over hosts New Zealand in the final in Auckland.
Navneet Kaur opened the scoring before Sunelita Toppo added a second goal to seal the win. India also produced a disciplined defensive performance to preserve their lead, securing the championship and earning promotion back to the FIH Hockey Women’s Pro League for next season.
However, Marijne said the team still has room for improvement, particularly in converting field chances into goals and creating more scoring opportunities. While he was pleased with India’s strong defensive structure, which limited the opponents to just one chance and one penalty corner in the final, he stressed that maintaining such defensive consistency will provide a solid foundation even on days when the team is not at its best.
“There are always areas to improve; otherwise, it’s getting boring, and one of the things we can improve is converting more goals out of the field chances, but also creating opportunities from chances. And that is something we can improve. I think in the final we were we can create more, but on the other side, the defensive structure was really good. I was really happy with that because that gives us a kind of basic level that helps us to perform even when we don’t have our best day. And I’m not saying this about the final, but yeah, they had only one chance and one PC. If we can do this every match, I think it’s good, it’s really good,” he said.
Marijne described the Asian Games squad as a well-balanced mix of junior, experienced, and senior players, saying the selected group offers the right combination of personalities and potential after evaluating players over the past five months through various tours and tournaments.
“I think it’s a nice combination of juniors, experienced players and seniors, and that’s the combination I’m always searching for to find the right balance. We have been together for five months, a lot of different players have their chances in tours and tournaments, and we think this is the right mix of personalities and of potential of the players,” he said.
India’s 20-member squad for the 20th Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya 2026
Goalkeepers: Savita, Bichu Devi Kharibam
Defenders: Ishika Chaudhary, Sushila Chanu Pukhrambam, Lalthantluangi, Jyoti, Shilpi Dabas
Midfielders: Nikki Pradhan, Sakshi Rana, Sunelita Toppo, Salima Tete (C), Neha, Deepika Soreng
Forwards: Lalremsiami, Rutuja Dadaso Pisal, Navneet Kaur, Deepika, Ishika, Baljeet Kaur, Beauty Dungdung. (ANI)
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