Indian women goalkeepers benefitted from week-long camp with Dutch Zijp ahead of FIH Pro League

Key role of Simon Zijp's goalkeeping camp in improving Indian women's hockey team's performance in FIH Pro-League.

The week-long goalkeeping camp under the watchful eyes of 1990 World Cup champion Simon Zijp of the Netherlands ahead of the just-concluded FIH Pro-League in Bhubaneswar played a key role in the national women hockey team's improved performance in the home leg of the tournament.

The camp, which featured goalkeepers Savita Punia, Bichu Devi Kharibam and young Bansari Solanki, had focused on refining technical skills, game awareness, and mental conditioning.

Zijp has worked for the Netherlands men's and women's national teams, playing a pivotal role in their success on the global stage. He has also served as the goalkeeping coach at the 2016, 2020 and 2024 Olympics (where Netherlands secured gold medal in both men's and women's categories).

Speaking on the significance of the camp, Indian women's hockey team chief coach Harendra Singh said, "It was a fantastic camp for all three goalkeepers. I think they progressed quite well, not just with some basics but around the finer details as well.

"They focused a lot on how a goalkeeper thinks, what should be the mindset when the ball is in the circle and when it is at the other end of the pitch. I am grateful for Simon (Zijp) for taking the time for this camp and I hope this is the start of a long association with Indian goalkeepers."

Former India captain and veteran custodian Savita said the short camp helped them to work on finer adjustments to their game.

"This camp was a great opportunity for us to fine-tune our skills for the Pro League. Training under an experienced coach like Simon allowed us to make small but effective technical adjustments that can make a big difference in high-pressure situations.