Legendary Dutch dragflick specialist Taeke Taekema has joined the senior Indian women’s hockey team for a specialised training programme aimed at enhancing dragflicking skills and improving penalty-corner conversion rates during the squad’s ongoing tour of Australia and New Zealand.
The former Netherlands international has been brought in as a specialist coach as India intensifies its preparations for the upcoming FIH Nations Cup, scheduled to be held in Auckland, New Zealand, from June 15 to 21. Under the guidance of chief coach Sjoerd Marijne, the Indian team is looking to fine-tune key aspects of its game ahead of a crucial stretch in the international calendar.
As part of the focused training camp, India’s leading dragflickers — Deepika, Lalthantluangi and Annu — are working closely with Taekema to improve their penalty-corner execution, accuracy and consistency. The sessions are also designed to boost the team’s overall attacking effectiveness, an area considered vital in modern international hockey.
Taekema is widely regarded as one of the greatest dragflickers in the history of the sport. During an illustrious playing career with the Netherlands, he earned a reputation for his powerful and precise penalty-corner conversions, becoming one of the most feared set-piece specialists in world hockey.
The Dutch star represented his country in several major international tournaments, including the Olympic Games and multiple editions of the FIH Hockey World Cup. Over the course of his international career, Taekema made more than 200 appearances for the Netherlands and scored an impressive 221 goals, many of them from penalty corners.
India’s preparations for the Nations Cup have already included a competitive four-match friendly series against Australia at the Perth Hockey Stadium from May 26 to May 30. The closely contested series ended in a 2-2 draw, with both teams registering two wins each, providing valuable match practice and insights ahead of the tournament.
The Indian squad is scheduled to arrive in New Zealand on June 3, where it will continue its build-up with additional practice matches and training sessions before beginning its Nations Cup campaign.
Also read: In Greece, Atiqa Mir races to most dominant win of her career
Speaking about Taekema’s inclusion, chief coach Sjoerd Marijne highlighted the importance of strengthening the team’s penalty-corner efficiency, which often proves decisive in top-level hockey.
“We know how important penalty corners are in modern hockey, and having someone with Taeke Taekema’s expertise and experience working with our players is a huge advantage. While his primary focus will be dragflicking, his contribution will extend beyond that. He has developed himself as a coach in several areas, and we want to utilise his broader knowledge to help improve our defensive structures as well,” Marijne said.
The Indian coach added that his previous association with Taekema would help create a productive working environment. “I have coached him before, so I know him very well. We share a similar vision and understanding of the game, which makes collaboration much easier. His experience as a world-class player and specialist will be extremely valuable for our squad,” Marijne said.
He also expressed confidence in the quality of India’s current penalty-corner unit, while emphasising the need to maximise scoring opportunities from set-pieces. “We already have talented dragflickers in the team and also a strong striking option in Navneet Kaur. However, it is essential that we convert more of the penalty corners we earn during matches. Success at the highest level often depends on making the most of such opportunities, and we believe this training camp will help us make significant improvements in that area,” Marijne added.
With expert guidance from one of hockey’s greatest dragflickers and a crucial international tournament approaching, the Indian women’s team will be hoping the specialised training translates into greater efficiency and success on the field in the weeks ahead.
Follow us
