Finding the balance between intensity and rest is the key: Marijne

With the Indian team entering its final stage of preparations for the World Cup, women’s hockey coach Sjoerd Marijne is focussing on fitness, aware it could be the difference in a game of small margins.

“That is our main focus now, improving the fitness, because we know they understand the tactics and we have enough matches to practice that. But these are the moments we really have to make the next step in our fitness.

“I think we’re doing really well, we are pushing the girls hard. It’s always a combination of high intensity and good rest and also finding the quality you want on the pitch. And the better the fitness is, the better the outcome will be,” he told The Hindu in an interaction on Thursday..

The team would be leaving for Germany on July 29 to play two matches before travelling to Netherlands on August 2. It will play four practice matches against Chile, Japan, Netherlands and Australia before the World Cup starts on August 15 with India’s opening game against China.

Two months mater, the team will have a chance to book an Olympic ticket at the Asian Games but Marijne understands the two are very different competitions.

“I think both tournaments are really different, there are different things at stake. Playing Asian teams is completely different than playing European or South American teams.

“The playing style at the Asian Games is more chaotic, so we have to stay away from that. I don’t see one tournament impacting the other in a negative way. It has been a while since we played China so we will see what is our level against them.

“I think Netherlands is by far the best team in the world. But, I think they all can win against each other. We will always create opportunities and that will be more difficult against higher ranked teams, so if you get three chances, you have to make at least one or two count. We’re working really hard on that,” he insisted.