Dutch coach Sjoerd Marijne is still waiting for the last instalment of his salary and cash incentives, three months after the Indian women’s hockey team showcased their best-ever Olympics outing. The reason for the delay is bureaucratic red tape and a crashed computer.
India, secured a historic fourth position at Tokyo 2020, under Marijne. The performance of the team got Indian hockey unprecedented national focus and sparked hope for the sport’s revival in the country.
Marijne said he is yet to receive his “Final salary” from the Sports Authority of India (SAI) and a reward of Rs 25 lakh announced by the UP government. “I am yet to receive the prize money from the UP government and the dues that are pending with SAI. However, I am in constant touch with them and I am confident it will be settled soon,” he said.
“The salary is already under process and will be released the moment official possessions given to Sjoerd Marjne as a chief coach of the women’s team are submitted to SAI by him, which is part of the administrative procedure required for the full and final settlement,” SAI, who employ coaches for all teams, said in a statement.
According to the contract, SAI said, they would “recognise” the coach’s contribution in major tournaments, including the World Cup where India reached the quarterfinals, the Asian Games where they won a silver medal, and the Olympics. But, a “performance bonus was not part of the contract”, it said.
The UP government’s sports director RP Singh, a former international hockey player, said the amount hadn’t been disbursed yet because they were waiting for the coach’s bank account details.
Some members of the support staff and the players who were present at the grand function in Lucknow on August 19, received their prize immediately. However, Marijne had moved on to his next assignment with Dutch club Tilburg and was unable to attend the event.
