Sjoerd Marijne Focuses On Consistency, Discipline As India Gear Up For Nations Cup Down Under

Last Updated:May 15, 2026, 16:06 IST

Indian women's hockey team faces Australia in a four-match series, building intensity and discipline under Sjoerd Marijne ahead of the FIH Nations Cup.

The Indian women’s hockey team is all set to take on Australia in a four-match series from May 21 ahead of the FIH Nations Cup next month in New Zealand, with the tour Down Under all set to serve as a preparatory period for the big-ticket event.

In what will be just the fourth edition of the tournament, India will look to pick up their second title, after they won the first in the inaugural edition in 2022.

A win in the FIH Nations Cup would guarantee them a spot at the next FIH Pro League, one that they missed last season. So what boxes would coach Sjoerd Marijne like to tick during the tour Down Under?

“I thought the last two matches on the Argentina tour were really encouraging. We won one game and drew the other against a strong side and that is where I saw the kind of behaviour I have been wanting from the team," Marijne said while replying to a query from News18 Sports during an interaction organised by the Sports Authority of India.

“Everything was done at full intensity; every action was a sprint. It isn’t that the girls don’t want to do it, but sometimes they aren’t fully aware of maintaining those standards consistently," Marijne added.

India recently toured Argentina for four matches and managed to draw the series 2-2, despite going down 0-2 in the first two games. Marijne, thus, now looks ahead to maintaining consistency in the good habits that the team has developed.

“That is the main thing I want us to achieve during this tour and at the Nations Cup, building continuity in our good habits. It is about repeating the right behaviours every single time, not just once or twice," Marijne said.

“Sprint every time. Keep your left hand down every time. The key is awareness and consistency because when we become more consistent in our performances, our overall level rises significantly," Marijne added.

The coach, under whom the Indian women’s hockey team finished fourth at the Tokyo Olympics, highlighted how his attention towards discipline is something that he would also look to continue in the coming months.

“Game awareness is also a very important part of that process. Everyone knows discipline matters a lot to me. It is one of the foundations of a strong team, along with building the right culture," Marijne said.

“For me, those are the biggest focus areas and takeaways from this tour and the upcoming Nations Cup," Marijne added.

India will begin their campaign against the USA at the Nations Cup on June 15.

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