Dutch goalkeeping coach Dennis van de Pol will hold two special camps for the Indian men' hockey team goalkeepers in Bengaluru ahead of the Asian Games scheduled in September in China's Hangzhou.
Van de Pol's first camp with the Indian team will be held from July 13-19. He will return to India for another week-long camp from September 7-14.
The Indian men's hockey team will participate in the special sessions during a week-long camp at SAI, Bengaluru, to be overseen by India's chief coach Craig Fulton.
P R Sreejesh, Krishan Pathak, Suraj Karkera, Prashant Kumar Chauhan and Pawan Malik will attend the camp.
"I am looking forward to being back with the Indian Men's Hockey Team for a short camp. This is a fantastic squad and it is always very exciting to work with this team. We have previously had some excellent sessions, and I can't wait to get started for the upcoming camp," Van de Pol said in a statement issued by Hockey India.
In addition, before the Hangzhou Asian Games, the men's team will compete in the 100th Anniversary Spanish Hockey Federation-International Tournament involving four teams, scheduled to be held from July 25 to 30.
The other three teams are England, the Netherlands and hosts Spain. It will be followed by the Asian Champions Trophy in Chennai in August.
Van de Pol, who has worked with the Drijver Goalie Academy in the Netherlands as well as the KNHB (Koninklijke Nederlandse Hockey Bond) and trains the Dutch youth national teams, is not new to the Indian setup, having previously conducted special camps.
"We are delighted to have Dennis van de Pol back in the training camp to work with the men's team," said Hockey India president Dilip Tirkey.
"This is a very important period in the year and having the best to help fine-tune your skills will be beneficial for the team. I am sure the camp will be quite intense and fruitful for the team."
"Van de Pol is a brilliant coach and it is excellent for the men's hockey team that he is back to help them out before a very crucial phase in the calendar," said Hockey India Secretary General Bhola Nath Singh.
