After one year, redemption for coach Schopman

Janneke Schopman was grinning ear-to-ear while hugging the support staff as her team jumped in joy after Odisha Warriors won the women's HIL on Sunday at Marang Gomke Jaipal Singh Munda Astro Turf Hockey Stadium in Ranchi.

- Sandip Sikdar

It was exactly a year ago on this pitch that the Schopman-coached India women's team failed to win a ticket to Paris Olympics. The Dutch then had a meltdown where she told the media that she wasn't valued and respected by Hockey India (HI) and that the country is "extremely difficult for women".

She then resigned. Expectedly, the 47-year-old - who won the 2006 World Cup and the 2008 Olympics as a player-faced backlash from the Indian hockey community. So, when she returned in October 2024 for the HIL auction, it wasn't exactly the most comfortable position, seeing the same faces who had criticised her for the comments. "The fact that she knew the players was very helpful.