Delhi HC Bars Sjoerd Marijne From Commenting Against Hockey India Team Captain

The court observed that the statements made in Marijne's upcoming book are 'prima facie defamatory' in nature.

Former Indian women's hockey team coach, Sjoerd Marijne.

(Photo: Hockey India)

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday, 21 September, restrained Sjoerd Marijne, former coach of Indian women's hockey team, from making any statements or giving interviews, or publishing any material from his upcoming book on men's hockey team captain Manpreet Singh as they are 'prima facie defamatory.' 

"In my prima facie view, the statements made are on the face of it defamatory and injurious to the reputation and goodwill of plaintiff (Manpreet Singh)," single-judge Justice Amit Bansal remarked. 

The court further said, ".. till the next date of hearing Defendant No 2 (Marijne) is restrained from issuing any statement, giving interviews, correspondence and publishing excerpts in relation to the aforesaid statements as pointed out in the manuscript." 

During the course of the hearing, publishing house HarperCollins Publishers India Pvt Ltd submitted that till pendency of Singh's suit filed, they do not intend to publish the excerpts of the manuscript. 

The contentious part of the book titled "Will Power: The Inside Story of the Incredible Turnaround in Indian Women's Hockey" was also published in a newspaper, in which Marijne was alleged that the team captain had asked the team's young players to under-perform in order to favour his friends. 

The book titled "Will Power: The Inside Story of the Incredible Turnaround in Indian Women's Hockey" which was set to launch on Wednesday (21 September). 

On Monday, the high court also restrained Marijne and HarperCollins Publishers India Private Limited from publishing any content on the medical condition of player Gurjit Kaur in his upcoming book. 

In the appeal by Kaur, whose contention was against publishing some confidential information that was shared by her with Marijne in confidence when he was the coach, the player pointed out that publishing those details on her medical condition will breach her right to privacy as well. 

Dutch tactician Marijne played a key role in guiding the Rani Rampal-led Indian women's hockey team to a historic fourth-place finish at the Tokyo Olympics 2020.