India women’s hockey coach Sjoerd Marijne reacts during the team’s 3-1 win over Japan at Asian Games 2026Read on for the full story.
Share Article
https://www.india.com/sports/hockey/asian-games-2026-india-womens-hockey-coach-sjoerd-marijne-unhappy-with-sloppy-final-quarter-despite-japan-win-8529967/
India women’s hockey team (Photo: Hockey India/X)
India women’s hockey team coach Sjoerd Marijne was pleased with his side’s overall display against Japan but admitted he was not happy with the final quarter of the matchIndia defeated the hosts 3-1 on Friday to register their fourth straight win in Pool B and secure their place in the Asian Games 2026 semifinals.
India had controlled most of the contest and took a 2-0 lead into half-timeLalremsiami and Ishika Chaudhary found the net before Navneet Kaur added another goal in the third quarter.
Marijne wants India to stay disciplined
Speaking after the match, Marijne praised the team’s performance in the first three quarters but pointed out the drop in energy and discipline towards the end.
“I think we did really well in the first three quartersI was not so happy with the fourth quarter; we got a little bit sloppy, had less energy, and then they were able to score a goal, and that was too easySo, yeah, that is something I already told the girls, “We have to stay disciplined.” But I am really happy with the opportunities we created—there were a lotIt was very difficult, they had a really full circle, and they defended our PC really, really wellSo, yeah, I think we did what we had to do, and now move on to the next match and after that, the semis,” said the coach.
Japan reduced the deficit early in the final quarter through Shiho Kobayakawa, but India did enough to keep their lead and secure another important win.
India get much-needed test before knockouts
India had started their Asian Games campaign with huge wins over Uzbekistan, Indonesia and ThailandThey beat Uzbekistan 19-0, followed it with a 17-1 victory against Indonesia and then defeated Thailand 20-1.
However, Japan provided a much tougher test and forced India to work harder for every opportunityMarijne believes such a match was important before the knockout stage.
“And today, that was really important because we were up against Japan, a better teamWe need that for our next match against Singapore (on September 27) and for the semifinalsI am watching things match-by-match, not any furtherIf we keep doing what we did today, we are a very good teamBut when we do not do that, like when we dropped our level in the fourth quarter and do not execute enough, we need to really finish the game well,” he signed off.
Lalremsiami, Ishika and Navneet score
India started strongly and Lalremsiami opened the scoring in the first quarterIshika then doubled the advantage before half-time to put India in a comfortable position.
The Indian team continued to push forward after the break and Navneet made it 3-0 in the third quarter with a fine finish inside the circle.
Japan managed to pull one goal back through Kobayakawa in the 46th minute, but India stayed composed in the closing stagesThe hosts created some pressure but could not find another goal.
The victory confirmed India’s place in the semifinals, although the team still have one Pool B match left against Singapore on September 27.
