India has tied up with the Netherlands veteran Taikema to work with the drag flicker of the National Women’s Hockey Team on a short -term basis until 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
Taikema trained Indian players in the seven -day camp from 10 to 16 February before India’s FIH Pro League campaign in Bhubaneswar last month. India fought against England, Germany, Netherlands and Spain in the domestic phase of the Pro League.
Along with players like Deepika, Manisha Chauhan, Sonam and Annu, some junior players also participated in this seven-day camp. The main objective of the camp under Taikema’s guidance was to improve the accuracy of the drag flick with enhancing the technical skills. Indian women’s team head coach Harendra Singh said that the camp was very beneficial for the players and Taikema will continue to work with the team on a short -term basis till Los Angeles Games.
He said, “Taichema is one of the greatest veterans in the drag flick case. I requested Hockey India to bring them to help us improve the region. He is working with the team to enhance the technology and make the process of drag flicks easier. “Harendra said,” Drag flicking is a specific skill and Taikema will continue to work with us in the future camp as well. “
Referring to the improvement in Deepika’s performance with this, Harendra said, “We have seen a definite progress with Deepika, especially during the recent Pro League matches. “This 45-year-old former player was known for the accuracy of a penalty-carner during his sports days.” Taikema scored 170 goals in 94 matches for the Netherlands men’s team in his 11 -year international career. He is considered one of the most dangerous penalty corner experts in the world.
He was the top scorer in several major international tournaments including 2002 and 2006 Champions Trophy, 2006 World Cup, 2008 Olympic Games and 2010 FIH World Cup. She also worked as an assistant coach of the Chinese women’s team from 2022 to 2024. Deepika also said that she benefited a lot from the camp.
Deepika, who scored two out of three goals from the penalty corner in the Pro League, said, “It was just a week’s camp, but it proved to be very beneficial for the domestic phase of the FIH Pro League.” During this time I focused on improving footwork, shot release and finishing. This gave me a clear understanding of the technical adjustments that I needed to do. ”
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