Janneke Schopman was in a different dugout when India captain Rani Rampal scored the decisive goal to send her team to the Olympics. This was back in 2019 when India faced the USA, then coached by Schopman, to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics.
In a two-legged tie, India won the first match 5-1 before the USA were leading 4-0 in the second. In the final quarter of the game, played at Bhubaneswar's Kalinga Stadium, Rani intercepted the ball in the centre of the circle, made space for the shot and unleashed a powerful strike to beat the goalkeeper. That goal sent India to the Olympics.
Four years after that eventful night, life is very different yet similar for the Indian women's hockey team. Once again, head coach Schopman will have to guide her team to the Olympics, but this time she's in the Indian dugout.
There's no Rani Rampal for India, who missed out on Olympic qualification at the Asian Games and now have to qualify through a tricky Olympic Qualifiers tournament in Ranchi, starting from January 13. Apart from Rani, who has not been picked for the senior team in over a year now, Vandana Katariya, Deep Grace Ekka and Gurjit Kaur will also miss the tournament.
For Schopman, who took charge of the team after the 2021 Olympics, the upcoming few matches could define her coaching legacy. Failure to qualify with India, who showed so much promise at the Tokyo Games, will be a crushing blow. Make it to the Olympics, and Schopman gets to continue her work and have a shot at the medal.
Schopman's reign so far
When Schopman took over the reins from Sjoerd Marijne, the goal was to take the team a level higher and convert their potential into becoming among the top teams in international hockey. Objectively, she is yet to fulfil this target, but in terms of playing style and competing against the best sides, this team has delivered.
There's no denying that her coaching has made a difference to certain players. Under her, the likes of Salima Tete, Sonika, Neha Goyal, Sangita Kumari, Lalremsiami and Udita made massive improvements to their attacking game. These players became the core of her playing style -- high press, quick transitions and consistently creating chances. India's matches are exciting to watch, there's a constant goal threat coming from all sides.
But the other's another side to it: this team has faltered at major tournaments. There was the 2022 World Cup, where India finished joint-ninth. They couldn't qualify for the Commonwealth Games final and missed out on the Asian Games gold medal after losing in the semifinal. After finishing fourth at Tokyo, the natural progression for India was to become the best team in Asia. The current ranking (WR6) might suggest they are. But in reality, they are not.
It's pertinent to point out that Indian hockey doesn't have the best of domestic structures. Unlike in Europe, Indian hockey doesn't have club-level hockey and neither do they have a quality league, where foreign players can also come in and play. The players have access to world-class facilities and training methods only when they are at the national camps.
Schopman can only do so much in the camps with a limited set of players, who might not be facing strong competition for their places, and she's not responsible for India's domestic structure. But she also must take responsibility for the inconsistent performance. Especially in big tournaments.
Schopman's relationship with players
Like the team's performances in big tournaments, Schopman's relationship with players can also be described as mixed, as is evident from the instances that have been played out in the open.
Rani's ouster from the team is the most significant one in Schopman's tenure. No official reason has ever been given by Schopman or by Hockey India about Rani's non-selection for nearly two years now. She has been one of India's best-ever players and an inspiration for youngsters. The conversion of chances is one of the major issues with this team and they are clearly missing a player of Rani's calibre.
There's also the curious case of Deep Grace Ekka, who was the vice-captain of the team for a long time, and now finds herself out of the squad for the all-important Olympic Qualifiers. "Only she can tell why she's not in the squad," was Schopman's answer when asked about the defender not finding a place on the squad.
But there have been praises for Schopman, especially from team captain Savita Punia. Apart from the on-field coaching, Savita credits Schopman for her continuous focus on the mental well-being of players. Junior players who made the transition into the senior setup have praised the coach for creating an atmosphere which helped to deal with pressure and expectations.
The expectation is that India will make it to Paris from their Olympic Qualifiers in Ranchi. The top three teams from the tournament will make the cut and India have the pedigree to overcome the likes of New Zealand, Japan and the USA. There's also Germany, whom India can potentially play in the final.
In Ranchi, Schopman will hope that her players show the positive aspects of her tenure while avoiding the inconsistencies to seal qualification for the Paris Olympics.