ISLAMABAD: Richard de Snaijer of the Netherlands was appointed as coach of the national women’s team by the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) on Tuesday.
De Snaijer holds two decades of elite coaching and player development experience in the Netherlands and Belgium.
The 52-year-old coach has served as technical director of KHC Dragons, Rapid Temse and LMHC Laren, coached leading women’s teams including HC Rotterdam and Laren. He also worked with Dutch youth national teams besides featuring in other international hockey programmes.
According to the PHF, De Snaijer will work closely with Herman Kruis, who was named Pakistan’s national coaching adviser and national men’s team coach recently, and the national coaching staff to enhance the technical, tactical and physical standards of the national women’s team.
He will also help create international training opportunities for Pakistan players through European clubs, enabling them to prepare for major international events.
“For decades, women’s hockey in Pakistan has suffered from neglect, with inadequate investment in coaching, infrastructure and international exposure. The PHF is determined to reverse this trend by building a sustainable pathway for girls’ hockey from schools to the national team,” the PHF said in its statement.
Commenting on De Snaijer’s appointment, PHF president Mohyuddin Ahmad Wani said that the federation wanted to revive women’s hockey.
“Our girls deserve the best opportunities. With De Snaijer’s appointment and the guidance of Herman Kruis, we are investing in a modern, high-performance women’s hockey programme,” he said.
Published in Dawn, July 29th, 2026
