New Delhi, 02 June (H.S.): In a significant boost to the Indian women’s hockey team’s penalty-corner capabilities, legendary Dutch drag-flicker Taeke Taekema has joined the squad for a special training camp. The camp is being conducted from May 26 to June 21 during the team’s tour of Australia and New Zealand.

Under the guidance of head coach Sjoerd Marijne, the Indian team is preparing for the upcoming FIH Women's Nations Cup, scheduled to be held in Auckland, New Zealand, from June 15 to 21.

The primary objective of the specialised camp is to refine the technique of India’s drag-flickers and improve the team’s efficiency in converting penalty corners into goals. Indian players Deepika, Lalremsiami and Annu are participating in the training programme.

Taeke Taekema is widely regarded as one of the greatest drag-flickers in the history of international hockey. The former Netherlands international represented his country at major tournaments, including the Olympic Games and the Hockey World Cup. He played more than 200 international matches and scored 221 international goals during his distinguished career.

The initiative is being supported by Anandana – The Coca-Cola India Foundation. Earlier, Anandana also supported a specialised goalkeeping camp for the Indian women’s hockey team in Bengaluru, conducted by renowned goalkeeping coach David Williamson.

During their Australian tour, the Indian team played a four-match friendly series against Australia at the Perth Hockey Stadium. Both teams won two matches each, resulting in the series ending in a 2-2 draw.

The Indian squad will arrive in New Zealand on June 3, where it will fine-tune its preparations through practice matches and training sessions ahead of the Nations Cup.

Head coach Sjoerd Marijne said, “Penalty corners are extremely important in modern hockey. Having an experienced specialist like Taeke Taekema with the team will be immensely beneficial. In addition to drag-flicking, he will also help us strengthen our defensive structure.”

He added, “I have coached him before, and our approach to the game is very similar. The team already has quality drag-flickers, along with excellent strikers such as Navneet Kaur. We need to make better use of our penalty-corner opportunities, and this camp will play an important role in achieving that objective.”

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar