CHENNAI: The reasons surrounding the abrupt resignation of the senior women’s team coach Harendra Singh in the middle of a training camp in Bengaluru do not seem to add up. Ostensibly having resigned for “personal reasons,” and his silence thereafter, many within the women’s hockey set-up alluded to long-running differences between the coach and a group of senior players.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Multiple sources confirmed to TOI that the unrest had been simmering for months and came to a head with the seasoned coach’s exit on Monday. The disgruntled players had reportedly raised concerns earlier with officials from SAI’s TOPS scheme, and last week submitted a detailed 18-point letter to the sports ministry and Hockey India (HI), outlining their grievances. The letter, a copy of which is with TOI, has listed a series of grave allegations of mental harassment against Harendra and was signed by eight senior members of the team.
According to Hockey India sources, the federation is looking into the allegations made in the letter and president Dilip Tirkey and Bhola Nath Singh, the secretary, had already met the players on Monday. While former coaches pointed out that coaching women came with different challenges and demanded greater sensitivity, former India captain Pritam Rani Siwach warned that the sport itself was at a breaking point. “Not everyone walks away from the sport with dignity,” Pritam told TOI, acknowledging that internal dynamics have long influenced the environment within the women’s setup.“Women’s hockey is in doldrums. If steps aren’t taken now, we’ll slip back three decades. The 2028 LA Olympics — and the one after — will remain a distant dream,” reminded Pritam. “We’ve seen such situations even during our playing days. Towards the end of their careers, some players tend to politicize situations to stay relevant. They mislead and misinform others. There are always two sides to a story, and it must be thoroughly investigated,” she pointed out.Another former player did not mince words, “Jab taange bolna band ho jaatein hain, tab unka munh khul jaata hai (when the legs start tiring as careers near the end, they open their mouths to politicise things).” With the team’s performances dipping and the national camp itself under scrutiny, many believe the road to recovery will require honesty and bold decisions.A former coach who worked with the national team added another dimension. “Coaching a women’s team, for an Indian male coach, is like a double-edged sword. Players have different yardsticks for Indian and foreign coaches. And they’re not always comfortable with Indian women coaches either, because they know the players too well — on and off the field,” he admitted.WHY MARIJNE?In a late-night development, HI advertised for the roles of head coach, analytical coach (AC), and scientific advisor (SA), indicating that Dave Smolenaars (AC) and Edison Elias (SA) have also exited. Yet, sources indicate that the path is all but cleared for Sjoerd Marijne’s return as chief coach. Marijne’s relationship with Indian hockey has been a turbulent one. After arriving in Feb 2017 as women’s coach, he was moved to the men’s team later that year, only to swap roles with Harendra again within nine months.He eventually led the women’s team at the Tokyo Olympics before stepping away in 2021.But his 2022 book — which leveled allegations against members of the men’s and women’s teams — triggered a legal battle with players. Marijne publicly apologized in August 2023.Not everyone is convinced about his return.
