India has roped in Dutch legend Taeke Taekema to work with the national women's hockey team dragflickers on a short-term basis till the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. Taekema had conducted a seven-day camp from February 10 to 16 ahead of India's FIH Pro League campaign in Bhubaneswar last month, where the hosts competed against England, Germany, Netherlands, and Spain. The seven-day camp was attended by the likes of Deepika, Manisha Chauhan, Sonam, and Annu, along with a few junior players.
The focus of the camp was on honing technical skills and improving dragflick accuracy under Taekema's guidance.
Indian women's team chief coach Harendra Singh said the camp has been very beneficial for the players and Taekema will continue to work with the side on a short-term basis till Los Angeles Games.
"Taeke is one of the greatest legends in dragflicking, and I requested Hockey India to bring him in to help us improve in this area. He has been working with the team on refining technique and ensuring a smoother dragflicking process.
"Dragflicking is a highly-specialised skill, and Taeke will continue to work with us in future camps as well," Harendra said.
Harendra also acknowledged the improvements in Deepika's performance.
"We've seen definite progress with Deepika, particularly during the recent Pro League matches. However, successful penalty-corner conversions rely on three key components -- the injector, stopper, and dragflicker.
"Unfortunately, we faced some challenges with the injection and stopping during some matches, which affected our conversion rate. But Deepika's tactical approach is improving with each game," he said.
Outlining his vision, the coach said his aim is to develop Deepika and Manisha into world-class flickers.
"Our focus is to develop Deepika and Manisha into world-class dragflickers. Taeke's involvement will continue until the 2028 LA Olympics, and he will provide guidance to both the senior team and junior players as and when needed.
"In modern hockey, dragflicking and goalkeeping are crucial, so we're committed to preparing our players to compete at the highest level globally," Harendra concluded.
Taekema, 45, was renowned for his penalty-corner precision during his playing days.
Taekema, who netted 170 goals in 94 appearances for the Netherlands men's team over 11 years, is widely regarded as one of the world's most feared penalty corner specialists.
He was the top scorer in numerous major international tournaments, including the 2002 and 2006 Champions Trophy, 2006 World Cup, 2008 Olympic Games, and 2010 FIH World Cup. He also served as the assistant coach for the China women's team from 2022 to 2024.
Deepika too said she benefitted a lot from the camp. "Although it was just a week-long camp, it proved to be highly beneficial for the home leg of the FIH Pro League. I focused on refining my footwork, shot release, and finishing, which gave me a clear understanding of the technical adjustments I needed to make," said Deepika, who netted two out of her three goals from penalty corners in the Pro League.
"We concentrated on key technical areas like body positioning and stepping based on the type of shot we wanted to execute. This focus made a significant difference. Overall, it was an enriching experience.
"Taekema was excellent in guiding us, and we started noticing improvements under his mentorship. He also shared his own experiences as a player, which helped us build mental resilience," she added.
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