How Janneke Schopman Made Ranchi’s Jaipal Singh Astro Turf Hockey Stadium a Happy Hunting Venue!

It was about a year back when Janneke Schopman plumbed a ‘coaching low’ when the Indian women’s hockey team had failed to qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics by faltering in the Olympic Qualifiers at the Jaipal Singh Astro Turf Hockey Stadium in Ranchi. A year later, at the same venue the former Netherlands deep defender and stalwart turned the ‘Olympic Non-Qualification’ disappointment into joy and relief, guiding the star-studded Odisha Warriors to glory in the inaugural Women’s Hockey India League. She turned the Jaipal Singh Astro Turf Hockey Stadium into a happy hunting pitch, guiding the Odisha franchise crown themselves in HIL glory.

“Honest, I didn’t really think much about it much but people talk about it. We missed the Olympics bus and it always hurts. I was talking to some of the players about it even after the final and if we think about it, we don’t know. We’ve some answers, but not all a to ‘why’. This time around it was different with a different team and a different league,” says Schopman in an exclusive interview with Hockey Passion from Germany, where she is resuming duties as the chief coach of Germany women’s team.

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The 47-year-old Olympic and World Cup gold medallist dedicates the league win to Odisha Warriors owner Sanjeev Srivastava. “I dedicate our inaugural HIL triumph to Sanjeev because he richly deserved it. He has been solidly backing us creating the right environment to deliver on the pitch.”

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The sheer experience of playing in front of a sell-out crowd was a memorable experience. “Obviously playing before a packed house was a moment we can cherish for a long time with the Jharkhand Chief Minister and his wife in attendance. The atmosphere was just electrifying and to corner glory on such a occasion is hugely satisfying,” she quips.

Schopman, who has inked a three-year contract with the Odisha Warriors – owned by Navoyam Sports-owned (backed by the Sanpriya Group), puts the triumph to the collective finesse of foreign and Indian players. “It was not about one player in our team. It was a victory where all 19 players played their part which is a testament to what we tried to do this tournament. It wasn’t just about the foreign players but about the Indian players as well as everyone (3:42) did their job, playing their hearts out. We really defending well and carried the day,” she says.