India wins Silver in Asia Cup’25 | Dutch Hockey Coach Who Made India Proud: REAL Chak De India Story

In this special episode of, Gaurav sits down with Sjoerd Marijne, the Dutch coach behind one of the most inspirational chapters in Indian sports the real Chak De! India story.

What began as a daunting assignment coaching an Indian women’s hockey team that hadn’t won a single match at the Rio Olympics turned into a transformation that captured the world’s attention.

Sjoerd reveals how he built a high-performance mindset, reshaped confidence, elevated fitness levels, and ignited a belief system that carried the team to a historic 4th place finish at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, the first time India’s women ever reached the Olympic semi-finals.

He opens up about his journey from the Netherlands to India, the cultural clashes, early struggles, and the deep emotional connection he formed with the players and the country. From leadership lessons, handling pressure, and navigating skepticism, to moments of raw emotion like comparing his feelings for the Indian flag vs the Dutch flag, Sjoerd shares insights that resonate far beyond the field powerful lessons for entrepreneurs, CEOs, managers, and anyone building teams.

He talks about the heroes behind the scenes the support staff, the players who shocked him with their transformation, the government support, and his lifelong bonds with Hockey India, Odisha Naval Tata Hockey HPC, and the academies he continues to inspire. With stories from the Tokyo dugout, the iconic “Holi Hai!” moment, to his book “Will Power”, this episode is a masterclass in mindset, resilience, cultural intelligence, leadership, and grit, wrapped in the unforgettable rise of a team rewriting India’s hockey legacy—even today at the Women’s Asia Cup 2025.

If you love sports, leadership, women breaking barriers, or real-life Chak De India moments, this conversation will stay with you long after it ends.