The Chinese women’s hockey team head coach Alyson Annan for sure will like to add more trophies to her cupboard this season.

Former Australian Olympian Alyson Annan and current head coach of the Chinese women’s national hockey team was of the opinion that female coaches should be given more opportunities.

“We need to stop judging people by their appearance. We must accept people for who they are and what they have to offer,” FIH website quoted Alyson Annan as saying. “There are a lot of women around the world who can be very, very good coaches but I always question whether our environment is open to that. Often, males don’t choose females as assistants. I would really like it to be a rule of thumb for every country.”

The International Hockey Federation (FIH) launched the ‘Women Who Thrive’ series in July 2025 to celebrate the historical and impact of women in the sport of hockey.

The Chinese head coach has been featured in the latest series, ‘Women Who Thrive’.

The series is part of the Women in Hockey Empowerment Project that FIH launched at its 2024 Congress – a transformative platform to uplift and engage female players, coaches, officials and leaders in the sport, according to FIH website.

Alyson Annan has excelled on and off the field. The two-time Olympic and World Champion scored 166 goals and was also named FIH Player of the Year twice. She was also named FIH Coach of the Year for a record six times.

The Australian hockey expert was head coach of the Dutch women’s national hockey team that won gold at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games held in Japan in 2021.

Under her able guidance, the Chinese women’s hockey team won gold at the 2022 Asian Games held in 2023 and silver at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. Alyson Annan for sure will aim to add more trophies to her cupboard this season.

EOM