Holland experience will help prepare for Women’s Hockey Asia Cup: Sjoerd Marijne
Bengaluru, 18 August 2017: After
a two-week break post the
Women’s Hockey World League Semi Final in Johannesburg, the Indian
Women’s team is back in SAI, Bengaluru for a three-week national camp.
On August 14, the 33 core probables reported for the camp that will
conclude on August 31 ahead of the team’s departure
for a four-match Series in the Netherlands. “While we will work on
bringing different variations in goal scoring and keeping ball
possession, we will pay more attention to basics such as trapping and
better passing during this camp. On the fitness front, I
would like to see the girls get faster on the field,” expressed Chief
Coach Sjoerd Marijne who will put the squad under grind with ten
sessions a week that includes matches against the junior boys’ side on
Thursdays and Saturdays.
In Holland, apart from playing four
matches, the team will also get to work under legendary Dutch coach Toon
Seipman. “We will have nine training sessions with Seipman who is a
dragflick expert. Many drag flickers across the
world work with him and I am sure our drag flickers can learn a great
deal from him. This is an aspect we need to improve upon and I believe
the exposure in Holland will help in our preparations for the Women's
Hockey Asia Cup,” stated the 43-year-old Dutch
coach.
Team Captain Rani further emphasized
that the team is focused on playing consistently. “There are quite a few
aspects we need to learn from our outing at the World League Semi
Final. While we did well against USA in the first
two quarters, we could not carry on the momentum into the third and
fourth quarters. Similarly, against Argentina too we put up a good fight
but it’s important to play consistently through the match and we are
working on it. We need to bring more energy into
our attack and I am sure playing against Holland, who are very good
with attack, will be a learning experience,” stated the India forward.
Meanwhile, Coach Marijne lauded the
Men’s team, which had as many as nine players from last year’s junior
core group, win against an experienced side like the Netherlands. “I was
there during the matches India played in Holland
and the energy they brought into the matches was exceptional. The
women’s team makes it a point to follow the men’s matches and they are
inspired by the team’s recent performance,” Marijne added.
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