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Hockey India has hired Dutch goalkeeping expert Dennis van de Pol, who is well-known in the realm of hockey goalkeeping coaching. He will be helping the Indian goalkeepers PR Sreejesh, Krishan Pathak, and Suraj Karkera ahead of the Paris 2024 Olympics.
Dennis will be joining the ongoing national coaching camp, which is happening at the Kalinga Hockey Stadium in Bhubaneswar, overseen by chief coach Craig Fulton. The 10-day special goalkeeping camp will end on March 26, just before the team departs for the Australia tour.
Notably, Dennis has been consistently working with the Indian team’s goalies for the past four years, starting in 2019. Hockey India president Dr. Dilip Tirkey is delighted to rope in Dennis, who can work on the minor tweaks of the goalies to enhance their performance.
Furthermore, he emphasized that the Indian hockey team will be having an important phase in the coming days with multiple overseas tours and the FIH Pro League scheduled in the upcoming months as a preparation for the Paris Olympics 2024.
“This is a very important phase for the Indian Men’s Team, and everything they do in the months leading up to the Olympic Games will be crucial in achieving the desired result in Paris. In their quest for another podium finish, Hockey India is ensuring the team is provided with all the necessary support they need to fulfill this dream,” Dr Dilip said in the statement released by Hockey India.
“We have re-emphasized the importance of these specialized coaching camps in goalkeeping and drag-flicking. We are delighted to engage Dennis who has been closely working with this group of goalkeepers for nearly four years now and understands the minor tweaks needed to lift their performance,” he added.
“This initiative is a game-changer” - Hockey India Secretary General
Hockey India Secretary General Bhola Nath Singh also backed the initiative and termed it a ‘game-changer’. He stated that the initiative will help the Indian goalies in enhancing their core areas of the game and believes that they are leaving no stone unturned ahead of the quadrennial event.
“The initiatives we are taking now, particularly in core areas such as goalkeeping and drag-flicking is a game changer and crucial in improving the collective performance of the team. We are leaving no stone unturned in helping the team with their preparations ahead of the Olympic Games,” Bhola Nath Singh said.
Notably, ahead of the Asian Games in 2023, Dennis was part of the Indian team, when he held two special camps with the Indian goalkeepers.
