India women's hockey coach Janneke Schopman hits out at differential treatment towards her, team

India women's hockey coach Janneke Schopman highlighted how she and the team has been handed out differential treatment from their male counterparts. Two-and-a-half-years into her job in India, she talked about being 'undervalued', feeling 'alone' and even considered quitting at one point.

“Even when I was the assistant coach some people wouldn’t even look at me or wouldn’t acknowledge me or wouldn’t respond and then you become the chief coach and all of a sudden people are interested in you. I struggled a lot with that,” she told Indian Express after India beat USA 1-1 in the FIH Pro League.

“I look at the difference at how men’s coaches are treated… between me and the men’s coach, or the girls and the men’s team, just in general. They (the women players) never complain and they work so hard. I shouldn’t speak for them so I won’t. I love them. I think they work so hard, they do what I ask, they wanna learn, wanna do new things,” Schopman added.

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“But for me personally, coming from the Netherlands, having worked in the USA, this country is extremely difficult as a woman, coming from a culture where, yeah, you can have an opinion and it’s valued. It’s really hard.”

Schopman said the differential treatment became obvious last year after the men’s team didn't qualify for the World Cup quarterfinals in India. “I just know that when the World Cup didn’t go well for the men’s team, all focus was on them. Since February 2023, all the focus was on the men’s team,” she claimed.

The Dutchwoman considered quitting after the Commonwealth Games. She came close to getting the sack last year after missing out on a gold medal at the Asian Games. But was kept in her job by Hockey India president and former India captain Dilip Tirkey. She also found plenty of support from Hockey India CEO Elena Norman.

Schopman's future has been under the lens ever since India failed to qualify for the Paris Olympics. Her contract is due to expire after the Games in July-August. Having missed that tournament, India's next assignment is the European leg of the FIH Pro League in May.