Hockey India condemns Sjoerd Marijne’s allegations of non-payment, Dutchman says issue almost resolved now

Marijne
through
an
interview
published
in
today’s
edition
of
The
Indian
Express
alleged
his
‘final
salary’ was
put
on
a
hold
by
the
Sports
Authority
of
India
(SAI).

As
per
reports,
Marijne’s
“full
and
final” salary
was
stopped
on
the
recommendations
of
Hockey
India
(HI)
after
he
was
denied
a
‘No
Objection
Certificate’
for
failing
to
return
his
official
laptop.
The
Dutchman
has
claimed
the
laptop
is
on
its
way
to
India
now.

According
to
Sports
Authority
of
India
(SAI)
sources,
Marijne’s
six-day
salary,
amounting
to
USD
1800,
is
on
hold.
His
tenure
ended
after
India’s
creditable
fourth-place
finish
in
the
Olympic
Games
in
Tokyo.

HI
confirmed
that
it
had
not
issued
a
No
Objection
Certificate
to
clear
Marijne’s
remaining
part
of
salary
amounting
to
USD
1800
which
is
of
equivalent
value
of
the
laptop.
Condemning
Marijne
for
going
public
on
the
issue,
HI
said
the
non-return
of
the
laptop
amounted
to
data
theft
and
penal
action
should
be
taken
against
him.

Marijne,
based
in
Den
Bosch,
said
he
took
the
laptop
with
him
for
repair
after
it
broke
down
in
August
and
has
now
sent
it
back.
“Till
31st
July
2021
all
his
dues
were
cleared
and
an
amount
of
just
USD
1800
is
pending
with
us
for
his
working
days
from
August
1
to
6
which
we
will
clear
after
receiving
the
official
laptop
as
per
the
contract,”
a
SAI
source
told
PTI.

“The
SAI
held
his
pending
payments
after
receiving
official
intimation
from
Hockey
India,
which
advised
us
not
to
give
him
NOC
as
he
has
still
not
submitted
his
official
laptop.”
The
SAI
source,
however,
said
that
as
soon
as
they
receive
the
official
laptop,
they
will
clear
his
payment.
When
contacted,
Marijne
told
PTI
from
Den
Bosch
in
the
Netherlands
that
he
expects
a
“full
and
final”
settlement
with
his
former
employer
to
be
completed
by
next
week.

“If
you
ask
about
my
dues,
a
substantial
amount
is
pending
with
SAI.
But
I
am
in
constant
touch
with
SAI
officials
and
they
have
assured
me
that
it
will
be
cleared
as
soon
as
(full
and
final
payment)
they
receive
the
official
laptop.

“Actually
what
happened
is
that
during
the
Olympics
my
laptop
given
to
me
by
employer
got
destroyed
and
when
my
contract
expired
I
brought
it
along
with
me
to
get
it
repaired
in
the
Netherlands
but
it
didn’t
happen.

“So,
I
had
despatched
the
laptop
back
to
India
and
I
guess
they
will
receive
it
by
this
week,”
he
said.
“I
had
a
very
happy
and
successful
association
with
India
and
SAI
and
the
SAI
officials
have
ensured
me
that
as
soon
as
they
receive
the
laptop,
they
will
clear
my
dues.
So
I
am
not
bothered
at
all.”

HI,
however,
condemned
Marijne
for
trying
to
“tarnish
Indian
sports
administration”
and
even
went
to
the
extent
of
stating
that
the
non-return
of
the
laptop
amounted
to
data
theft
and
penal
action
should
be
taken
against
him.

“Not
returning
the
laptop
issued
to
him
amounts
to
data
theft
since
it
contains
enormous
amounts
of
critical
data
on
Indian
players.
We
recommend
taking
necessary
penal
action
against
Marijne
to
facilitate
the
recovery
of
the
laptop
and
the
data
it
holds,”
HI
Secretary
General
Rajinder
Singh
said
in
a
statement.

“HI
would
like
to
unequivocally
condemn
the
malicious
attempt
to
paint
a
dark
picture
of
Indian
sports
administration
by
former
Mr
Sjoerd
Marijne.

“We
are
extremely
disappointed
that
despite
having
the
opportunity
to
have
an
extremely
lucrative
job
here
in
India
provided
by
SAI,
this
is
the
kind
of
a
response
we
observe
after
completion
of
his
tenure.”

HI
said
Marijne
has
been
paid
his
salary
till
August
7,
2021,
and
is
owed
only
a
balance
amount
of
USD
1800,
which
is
of
similar
value
with
the
laptop
which
he
is
yet
to
return.
“He
is
also
still
due
to
file
his
report
on
the
Olympics
Games
2020…It’s
disappointing
that
individuals
from
certain
European
countries
come
to
India
for
lucrative
jobs,
however
want
to
criticise
the
establishment
once
they
have
departed.

“We
have
also
witnessed
recently
the
response
again
of
certain
European
countries
to
the
Indian
athletes
winning
FIH
Annual
Awards,
which
does
not
speak
well
of
them.”

The
Indian
women’s
hockey
team
stunned
all
and
sundry
by
finishing
fourth
in
the
quadrennial
event
under
Marijne’s
guidance.
Upon
returning
home,
they
received
a
grand
welcome
from
all
quarters
with
the
Uttar
Pradesh
government
felicitating
the
team
members
in
Lucknow
on
August
19
with
cash
awards.

The
UP
government
gave
away
Rs
50
lakh
each
to
the
women’s
hockey
team
members
and
Rs
10
lakh
each
to
the
support
staff
but
Marijne
couldn’t
attend
the
function
due
to
his
personal
commitments
and
he
is
still
awaiting
his
reward.

“Yeah,
I
am
also
in
communication
with
the
UP
government
officials.
Actually,
I
couldn’t
attend
the
event
and
so
there
were
some
issues
with
details
of
my
bank
account,
which
have
been
settled
now,”
Marijne
said.

Reacting
to
the
issue
of
prize
money,
Singh
said,
“The
Indian
sports
ecosystem
and
HI
hold
the
athlete
at
the
highest
regard.
Any
prize
money
or
performance
incentive
is
prioritised
for
them
and
rightly
so.

“The
payment
of
any
such
prize
money
is
given
at
the
discretion
of
the
State
and
corporate.
A
coach,
receiving
a
salary
for
a
specific
job
cannot
hold
himself
in
the
same
light
and
demand
this.

(With
PTI
inputs)