Indian Women’s Hockey: Failure, Heartbreak and Why a Coach Change Seems Imminent

#Hockey | Japan beat India 1-0 in Olympic Qualifier to book their spot in the #2024ParisOlympics.

Ranchi: Indian players during the FIH Women's Olympic Qualifiers 2024 hockey match between India and Japan, at Marang Gomke Jaipal Singh Astro Turf Hockey Stadium, in Ranchi, Friday, Jan. 19, 2024.

Image: PTI

At the end of Japan’s 1-0 Olympic Hockey Qualifying win over India, for the 3rd/4th spot, one that sent Japan to Paris 2024, and India into a shell of its own to comprehend why a team that finished 4th in Tokyo couldn’t qualify this time around - two contrasting images played out on the sidelines.

Japan’s coach Jude Menezes, a former India goalkeeper at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, knelt, in front of the Japan bench, and made a sign of the cross, showing gratitude for that narrow 1-0 win.

In front of the India bench, hunched together, players with tears in their eyes, as coach Janneke Schopman, consoling them in what many believe may be her last huddle with the team.

For Menezes, who never won an Olympic or World Championship medal as an India player, taking Japan to the Olympics must be hugely satisfying. Coach Schopman, an Olympic and World Cup winner as a Dutch player, this will be the 2nd consecutive time that she couldn’t take her team to the Olympic Games – it was in 2019 that she was the USA coach and India had beaten them over two legs to reach Tokyo. And, now in Ranchi, disappointment spills over again.

Paradoxically, Menezes would understand what India is going through. Twenty-three years ago, at the Sydney Olympics, India was a couple of minutes away from a semi-final spot, leading 1-0 against Poland, off a goal from the present Hockey India President, Dilip Tirkey. In the 69th minute, Tomasz Cichy, scored the equaliser, Menezes in goal, which destroyed an entire nation’s dream.

After India failed to win the Asian Games (AG) gold, thus not qualifying directly for Paris, it was down to a hard battle for a shot at the 2024 Olympics. Yet few believed ‘India wouldn’t go to Paris.’ Right after the AG disappointment, India won the Asian Champions Trophy (ACT in Ranchi, winning seven consecutive matches. With the qualifying also in Ranchi, India had the fans on their side. It’s amusing to see analysts talk about the ACT as a ‘not so important tournament’ but if Schopman’s team had not won then, knives would have had a sharper edge.

Ranchi: Japanese players celebrate after winning the FIH Women's Olympic Qualifiers match over India, at Marang Gomke Jaipal Singh Astro Turf Hockey Stadium in Ranchi, Friday, Jan. 19, 2024.

Image: PTI

Crunch matches go two ways – either completely open as one team just throws the tactical book away and plays an open game, provided they have the strikers and excellent PC flickers, or initial mistakes make the game a hard gritty encounter. After Japan scored in the 6th minute off a PC, the ball zipping through Savita Punia’s pads, it was all about chasing the game as Japan slowly killed the pace, ensuring a packed midfield, a solid defensive line on top of their striking circle.

Schopman’s team had to chase. If early breaks come while chasing, an equaliser in the 2nd or 3rd quarter, the game opens otherwise it’s a hand-to-hand combat.

Defensively, Japan is a fantastic unit. Ask Germany who couldn’t score off 14 penalty corners in a 1-1 Pool draw. But that doesn’t condone India’s faults with the conversions. Against Germany, India was a shot away in the shoot-out to close out the match but couldn’t.

Menezes spoke about the pressure of playing at home. “Playing at home also brings about a different kind of pressure, an added pressure, and that’s what we spoke about. We went up in attack, pressed higher and hoped for mistakes. We had to stop India from running because they can kill you.”

In Q2, Japan played a high line, mixing it with aerials. India did try and slow down the pace, they regrouped and won two PC’s, but the flicks didn’t have the power. Japan, sensing that India was coming after them, created a bunker and defended the quarter out.

The clutch of stress was high in the 3rd quarter. It did seem that tactical mistakes were done by India by not cutting in from the flanks, but as Menezes later said, they were ready for that too; one reason why Schopman played Salima Tete from the middle. The 3rd and 4th quarter was critical in the sense that Japan allowed Tete to come, then sent her wide, reducing her effectiveness. Tete loves to cut in, irrespective of whether it is required or not. It did need a direct approach. That was lost on the Indian players. Neha should have played up, coming directly into the circle. She has the physicality to barge past opponents and the skill too.

Menezes analysis of the 4th quarter was: “Keep our structure, keep it zonal. Let them go wide.” With players like Shihori Oikawa having a fantastic game in defence, India had to create something out of the ordinary or Japan had to make a mistake – both didn’t happen.

Ranchi: Japanese and Indian players in action during the FIH Women's Olympic Qualifiers 2024 hockey match at Marang Gomke Jaipal Singh Astro Turf Hockey Stadium, in Ranchi, Friday, Jan. 19, 2024.

Image: PTI

Former Indian captain Pritam Rani Siwach, who runs her own academy in Sonipat, believes changes should have been made when PCs were not working. “I know it’s easy to criticise after the match and that is what usually happens but from a coach point of view, Schopman should have realised that direct is not working so let’s take the indirect route. I think that area needed to be thought through.”

Schopman did admit that the team didn’t start well defensively. Usually, in a crunch game, at home, with the pressure of the crowd, first quarter should be more of playing into the match, getting your pace going and not rushing into expose your own defence. “Didn’t start well defensively,” she said. “But it does happen.”

Pritam believes the switch didn’t happen from time to time. “The shift that happens during a game where you take the match into different pockets to unsettle the opponent didn’t quite happen. And we did run out of patience, so the build-up was hurried.”

Introspection after a loss like ‘not going to the Olympics’ is essential and can be a luxury afforded to those not under the cosh, but Pritam has a point when she speaks of ‘mixing up play’ when things don’t go as directed.

Ranchi: Sonika of India moves forward during the FIH Women's Olympic Qualifiers 2024 hockey match between India and Japan, at Marang Gomke Jaipal Singh Astro Turf Hockey Stadium, in Ranchi, Friday, Jan. 19, 2024.

Image: PTI

The one area where India didn’t improve, which Pritam also agrees, is few changes in tactics post the Asian Games. Japan, meanwhile, understood the need to play an overly defensive-tactical game which could put off opponents. India or Germany could have over-run Japan, but the signs were in the 1-1 draw between Germany and Japan. India didn’t see that or didn’t change their own play to crack the Japanese defence open.

It’s ludicrous and incongruous, both, to see Rani Rampal’s name cropping up as ‘the player who should have been there.’ Pritam sees no reason to go down that route. “Yes, if there was a mistake it was not to see that a player needs to be built into that role (Rampal’s). I didn’t feel her presence was necessary, but we should have filled that space.”

Over the world, be it the men’s game or women’s, defences are being tightened. Except for probably Australia. But after the 2023 Men’s World Cup, even they would have felt the need for that. In the Indian men’s team, Craig Fulton has done exactly what he accomplished as an assistant coach with Belgium.

Two extremely close games against Germany and Japan, both if critically examined were lost by not only small margins but also by decisions that didn’t work. In such times, changes are necessary at the helm. It won’t be surprising if Schopman puts in her papers or is asked to go. Honestly, she should read that much better than what she read the Japan game.

Pritam feels a change should be good for the team. “I know and have experienced as a player so many coach changes and I don’t usually agree to that. But at this moment, when the women’s sport has gone back four years, it would be better to get an infusion of new or different ideas. There is nothing wrong in changing the coach. She (Schopman) has done well. But it hasn’t been good enough.”

Hockey India President, Dilip Tirkey, who has always supported Schopman refusing to change coaches after the AG also didn’t show his hand after the loss to Japan. “I must say it has been unfortunate against Germany especially after we led in the shoot-out. We were unlucky. Against Japan, we played a good 3rd and 4th quarter but I have to say that we should have scored off those PCs (9).”

On a coach change, Dilip for the moment didn’t commit anything saying that there is a Pro-League coming up and that the top eight teams in the world play it and ‘India needs to be prepared for that.’

Maybe, instead of a hard-driving and conservative play, India needs something dynamic and fiery.

Schopman post the loss could only say Ï don't know" about the team’s future or her own.