Asian Games 2026: Women’s hockey coach Marijne expresses disappointment over India’s

Aichi-Nagoya [Japan], September 25 (ANI): Following his facet’s win over Japan within the group stage match of the ladies’s hockey match on the ongoing Asian Games in Japan, Indian ladies’s head coach Sjoerd Marijne expressed his disappointment with the workforce’s efficiency within the last quarter and highlighted the significance of getting such a full-intensity recreation in opposition to a top quality opposition forward of the knockouts. 

The Indian ladies’s hockey workforce defeated Japan 3-1 of their Asian Games Pool B conflict on Thursday, persevering with their profitable run on the continental occasion and securing their place within the semifinals.

Speaking after the match in a video posted by Hockey India, Marijne acknowledged that the workforce did very well within the first three quarters, however the workforce bought ‘sloppy’, much less energetic and conceded a purpose within the last quarter, saying that the workforce wants to remain disciplined all through. 

‘I feel we did very well within the first three quarters. I used to be not so pleased with the fourth quarter; we bought slightly bit sloppy, had much less power, after which they have been in a position to rating a purpose, and that was too simple. So, yeah, that’s one thing I already instructed the women, ‘We have to remain disciplined.’ But I’m actually pleased with the alternatives we created-there have been loads. It was very tough, that they had a very full circle, and so they defended our PC actually, very well. So, yeah, I feel we did what we needed to do, and now transfer on to the following match and after that, the semis,’ mentioned the coach. 

The ladies’s workforce has loved a goal-fest within the match thus far. Starting off with a 19-0 win over Uzbekistan, which included a record-breaking eight objectives from Deepika Sehrawat, India went on to dominate their subsequent two video games as nicely, thrasing Indonesia 17-1 and Thailand by 20-1 earlier than the scoreline bought extra modest in opposition to Japan, a world quantity 11 facet. 

Marijne mentioned that such matches, involving a feast of objectives, witnesses decrease depth because the opponent performs ‘actually low’ and the workforce fails to get the complete depth by way of ‘operating meters, sprinting and so forth’. 

‘And at this time, that was actually essential as a result of we have been up in opposition to Japan, a greater workforce. We want that for our subsequent match in opposition to Singapore (on September 27) and for the semifinals. I’m watching issues match-by-match, not any additional. If we maintain doing what we did at this time, we’re an excellent workforce. But when we don’t do this, like after we dropped our stage within the fourth quarter and don’t execute sufficient, we have to actually end the sport nicely,’ he signed off. 

India took a 2-0 lead into half-time after Lalremsiami opened the scoring from open play within the first quarter, earlier than Ishika doubled the benefit late within the second quarter.

Japan saved India from dominating for lengthy intervals and managed to include the Indian assault for a lot of the opening half. However, India remained medical contained in the circle to take management of the competition.

The Indian workforce produced a dominant third quarter and added one other purpose via Navneet Kaur. Navneet collected the ball contained in the circle, moved in the direction of the precise and scooped it over the Japanese goalkeeper into the far nook to offer India a 3-0 lead.

Japan pulled one again early within the fourth quarter via Kobayakawa Shiho, who produced a backhand from the highest of the circle to beat goalkeeper Savita Punia.

However, Japan couldn’t add one other purpose as India held on to safe a 3-1 victory.

The win provides one other optimistic end result to India’s marketing campaign because the workforce continues its pursuit of a powerful end on the Asian Games. (ANI)