Women’s Hockey India League: Dutch star Yibbi Jansen justifies top billing as Odisha Warriors blank Delhi SG Pipers | Hockey News
If it was up to her, Janneke Schopman said after the Hockey India League (HIL) auction in October last year, she’d have assembled a squad with all the top Indian players she had worked with during her time as the national head coach. Indeed, from the start of the auction, she put her paddle up for a lot of the first-team Indian players, but crucially, didn’t go overboard for any of them. Because she was waiting for the one name she really wanted: the Netherlands’ Yibbi Jansen. When her name came up, Schopman went all out to ward off the interest from the other teams.
The FIH Player of the Year in 2024, Jansen is a superstar of the all-conquering Dutch women’s team. She was the leading goalscorer at Paris 2024 as the Netherlands clinched gold. And it was Jansen who starred on the opening night of the inaugural women’s HIL as Odisha Warriors thumped Delhi SG Pipers 4-0 to confirm their pre-event status as the team to beat. Jansen (16th minute and 37`), Baljeet Kaur (42`) and Freeke Moes (43`) were on target, as they turned on the style in the third quarter, pumping in three goals.
“She is the best drag-flicker far in the world,” Schopman had described Jansen after the auction. “Everyone wanted her, but we made our strategy in a way that we will get her. Some of the Indians, who I’d have loved to have on our side, went for high prices. But we stuck to our plans and got Yibbi for just under what we had planned.”
The Rs 29 lakh recruit proved her worth straight away. Jansen scored with the first penalty corner of the night, rifling her side into the lead after what was a closely-fought first quarter. The opening was created another Dutch star, Freeke Moes, and it allowed Jansen to do what she does best.
At half time, the match was still in the balance as Lily Owsley and Sunelita Toppo were impressive for Delhi in attack, but Aussie veteran Jocelyn Bartram stood strong in goal for Odisha, with Deep Grace Ekka also solid in defence.
Schopman was pleased with the lead, and the fact that Jansen lived up to her billing, but knew the game was not over yet as the Navneet Kaur-led side held a solid attacking threat.
But in the third quarter, the floodgates opened. Michelle Fillet won Odisha their first PC of the second half and Jansen was at it again. The Delhi goalkeeper was not even in the frame to save this time, as the ball flew past the player on the post as well.
The third goal came from the stick of Baljeet, who was among the last few young players to make their India debut under Schopman. Moes then added gloss to the scoreline shortly after. In the final quarter, Delhi threw the kitchen sink in trying to reduce the deficit but the Odisha defence held firm.
“There goes a lot of work behind the scenes; I do a lot of strength training and hockey training and then I put some extra time for my penalty corners. So yeah, it takes a lot of time, but it is something I love so it doesn’t feel like work,” Jansen had told Hockey India recently. “I think the HIL is going to be a big adventure and I am really looking forward to it.”
And it is an adventure that has gotten off to a delightful start for the Dutch goal-scoring machine.
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