Indian women’s hockey team set to have a new mental conditioning coach, confirms coach Janneke Schopman | Hockey News

The Indian women’s hockey team are set to have a mental conditioning coach with chief coach Janneke Schopman confirming on Friday in Ranchi the arrival of Peter Haberl to ass her.
India are playing the Women’s Asian Champions Trophy in Ranchi, a rare standalone multi-nation tournament for the women in front of home fans. Savita Punia and Co had finished with bronze at the Asian Games in Hangzhou, missing out on gold and an automatic qualification spot for Paris 2024, and that means they have a few crucial months coming up to earn their ticket.
“I have worked with Peter Haberl for a long time in the past, he is a sports psycholog who lives in the USA but he is from Austria,” Schopman told The Indian Express after India’s win against Thailand in their first match of the tournament.
Schopman, who was with the USA hockey team before her stint in India, has worked with Haberl in the past and is hoping to utilise his inputs as the team plays the Olympic qualifiers in Ranchi in January.

“He is very well known in the female team sports circuit. He has worked with US water polo, US rug, and he has worked with me in the USA hockey set up as well,” Schopman said. “He is a big believer in mindfulness. I am super thankful for Hockey India to make it happen. The Olympic qualifiers are in Ranchi and I needed him to be here to see what is happening during the games and what we can learn as individuals as well as a team. I need him to absorb as much information as he can in the next couple of days to make the next step. The intent is that he will be here a couple of times like mental coach (Paddy Upton) is coming in and out (for the men’s team) and it’s a similar arrangement.”
While Upton had joined Craig Fulton’s set up with the men’s team that won gold in Hangzhou and confirmed their Olympic qualification, Schopman had earlier told the Indian Express that she hoped to have similar assance.Most Read
1
Deepika Padukone says she and Ranveer Singh were ‘technically allowed’ to date other people ‘until he proposed’: ‘There was no real commitment’

2
Leo box office collection Day 8: Vijay-starrer aims to beat Jailer’s Rs 600 crore record, still has a long road ahead

See More

“I have asked for assance too, but unfortunately, it didn’t materialise,” Schopman had said in Delhi after the team’s return from Hangzhou. “What I’ve come to realise is that I can help them to a certain extent,” the 46-year-old says.
“That was maybe my enlightening moment after the semifinal. Not only for the players, but maybe also for me. Unfortunately, it wasn’t able to happen before the tournament. The federation is aware of it, they are very supportive. I would have liked to see it happen earlier. I said it would be beneficial from the start of the year. I hope they understand that as with the men, that can make a difference.”
Schopman also mentioned on Friday that, in the first half against Thailand, her players felt the nerves of playing on such an important occasion at home but showed what the team is capable of doing after half time as they played with much better control. India defeated Thailand 7-1 in the opener and face Malaysia in the second match on Saturday. They have tougher tests lined up against China, Japan and Korea – all three potential contenders for the title in Ranchi.