It’s going to be a busy few months for Janneke Schopman and the women’s national team of India.
As this article is published, India is defending its crown at the Women’s Asia Hockey Cup in Oman. This is an event featuring the top eight teams in Asia, which gives the winners bragging rights across the fiercely competitive hockey scene on that continent and offers automatic qualification for the FIH Hockey Women’s World Cup later this year.
Then on the 31 January and the 1 February India will make its debut in the FIH Hockey Pro League with a double fixture against China. Just here weeks later and the team will host Schopman’s own nation and the current FIH Hockey Pro League champions the Netherlands before Spain and then Germany visit the Kalinga Stadium.
India has had plenty of time to train for the challenges of the FIH Hockey Pro League as they have been in a national training camp for many months. But now is the time to see whether Schopman’s coaching principles and her team’s undoubted talent can match some of the top hockey nations in the world.
Speaking from the team’s training camp in Oman, where they are based for the Asia Hockey Cup, Schopman says she has thoroughly enjoyed getting to know her players better during the long months at the training camp. Despite the stresses of Covid, which is why the players have spent so much time away from home and in their own bubble, Schopman says there have been many benefits.
‘The players have been away from home quite a bit, to keep safe [from Covid-19] so we have tried to create an environment where we can work on the culture but also where they can get to know themselves and each other better. We have worked hard but we have also had fun, they have organised parties and dances and they enjoy each other’s company. They are a great group and they are ready to embrace just about anything.
‘As a coach that is important,’ adds Schopman, who was Head Coach to Team USA before joining the Hockey India coaching staff. ‘I hope I have developed over the years and it is the mindset I always try to instill in the players. We are getting there. I think culture and what we stand for is very important. It is more than purely about a sport; it is about developing as a person too.
‘Also, as a player, you need to be able to look at yourself and see both what you are good at but also what you can improve on. And I think the group are learning to do that.’
With so much hockey on the horizon, the India athletes are raring for action, says Schopman. ’The squad is super excited. Tokyo [Olympic Games 2020] showed that we can compete and get a long way just by playing as a team. But, at the same time, they are ready to show they have are more than that and show our skills and what comes with that.
‘After Tokyo, there was a little bit of disappointment that it wasn’t a medal. We did amazing but the girls want more so we are looking at our game and assessing what we need to improve and what we have control over. I am super excited, and they are too, to see how the work we have been doing stacks up.’
One aspect of the team’s performance that Schopman is keen to enhance is decision-making and a confidence to play with freedom.
‘I want the players to play freely and make good decisions. Not to worry if something doesn’t work first time round. We pay a lot of attention to that in training. I want to play an exciting style of hockey. They have the skills and they play an exciting game, we just need to make sure our defensive play backs that up.’
Like her players, Schopman is eagerly awaiting the first Pro League matches. ’The FIH Hockey Pro League is an incredible opportunity for these players. For us to compete with these top ranked countries consistently, you have to play them regularly. Whether it is China, or the Netherlands or Spain, the question is ‘can we play our Indian style against these teams and actually compete with them?’
India will meet Asian rivals China in their first match. With China not competing in international competition since the start of the pandemic, little is known at the moment. For Schopman and her charges this will be the first test of their on-field decision-making skills.
‘Of course, we look at video footage to get a sense of what they are doing. And even if we haven’t seen them, teams often have a certain style no matter what players they field but even so, that might not be the case. So we need to be able to adapt. If China changes their game and we didn’t expect it, well, we will just need to change it up.’
India will face China in the FIH Pro League on 31 January and 1 February at the Sultan Qaboos Complex in Muscat. The matches and highlights can be viewed on the Watch.Hockey app.
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