Taekema’s camp boosts India’s penalty-corner success in Nations Cup triumph

Indian women's hockey team drag-flickers have credited Dutch great Taeke Taekema's specialised training camp for their improved penalty-corner conversion during the FIH Nations Cup triumph. India scored 13 penalty-corner goals, with Deepika finishing as the tournament's joint top-scorer

Hyderabad: After lifting the FIH Hockey Women’s Nations Cup New Zealand 2025-26 title, members of the Indian women’s hockey team’s drag-flicking unit credited the specialised training camp conducted by Dutch legend Taeke Taekema, whose expertise proved to be a key factor behind their improved penalty-corner execution throughout the tournament.

Taekema, one of the finest drag-flickers in world hockey history, joined the Indian team during their preparatory tour of Australia in May and continued working with the squad’s drag-flickers during their time in New Zealand ahead of the Nations Cup under chief coach Sjoerd Marijne.

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The camp, supported by Anandana – The Coca-Cola India Foundation, focused on penalty-corner execution, technique refinement and game awareness, with drag-flickers Deepika, Lalthantluangi and Annu undergoing dedicated sessions under his guidance.

As a result of their hard work during the camp, India scored 13 goals from penalty corners in the FIH Hockey Women’s Nations Cup New Zealand 2025-26. Deepika finished as the tournament’s joint top-scorer with six goals, all of them converted from penalty corners.

Reflecting on the camp, Deepika said: “The drag-flicking camp this time was a lot more detailed. We not only worked on the pitch but also spent time watching videos of other teams to understand their defensive structures, goalkeeper positioning and other tactical aspects. That helped me a lot.

“Taekema has always helped me understand these minute details. He also made me realise the importance of staying calm and focused in pressure situations to execute my skills to the best of my ability. The result is not always in our control, but we need to stick to our process and routines, even when things aren’t going our way.”

Lalthantluangi, who has also been working on developing her drag-flicking abilities, spoke about the technical grounding the camp provided.

“I have been learning the drag flick in particular. As a beginner, it has been a fantastic challenge. Coordinated movements, such as body rotation and balance, rather than just muscle power, are vital. For me, the most important aspect is the pick-up point.

“I’ve had to break the technique down, analyse my footwork repeatedly and practise consistently. It has taught me patience, the value of learning from mistakes, and how to remain disciplined and focused during training.”

“Taeke is incredibly patient. He understands me very well. His calm approach helped me when I was struggling with my technique, allowing me to process and improve steadily,” she added.