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
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