The Indian Women's Hockey Team's specialised goalkeeping camp, led by David Williamson and overseen by Chief Coach Sjoerd Marijne, concluded on May 2, 2026, at the Sports Authority of India facility in Bengaluru.
The 11-day camp, held from April 22 to May 2 and supported by Anandana, the Coca-Cola India Foundation, provided focused, high-performance training for the team’s goalkeepers.
Senior goalkeepers Savita, Bichu Devi Kharibam, Bansari Solanki, and Madhuri Kindo participated in the sessions, concentrating on technical fundamentals, decision-making, defensive organisation, and tactical awareness in match situations as the team prepares for major upcoming international tournaments.
On the benefits of such focused camps, Savita said, “Being a goalkeeper, I’ve always experienced that these kinds of camps help you learn a lot, while polishing and improving your skills. We recreate match-like situations in training and have plenty of discussions. That level of attention to detail in the camp helps us feel more comfortable when we face similar situations during matches. So, these specialised camps are always important, and we’d like to thank Anandana, the Coca-Cola India Foundation, for their support.”
Reflecting on her role as a senior player mentoring younger goalkeepers, Savita added, “Being a senior player, I have to ensure that I don’t only focus on my own performance but also pay attention to the young keepers and motivate them.”
“I’m always looking at how they’re doing and how I can guide them in little details, based on my experience. I’m always trying to keep a good environment because I believe that when you’re training in the right kind of environment, you want to do well. So, it’s about keeping everyone motivated and pushing them to do even better. Sometimes, we were really tired at the end of these sessions but overcoming that is part of the mindset as we try to make the most of these camps,” she continued.
Bichu Devi Kharibam, a player with 60 senior caps for India, highlighted the camp’s importance for tournament preparation. She said, “This camp was very important for us as we look to prepare for major upcoming tournaments this year. We’ve focused on improving our fitness, while also ensuring that our defensive structure on the field remains solid in match situations.”
Discussing key lessons, Bichu Devi stated, “Throughout the camp, there was a focus on the defensive side of things. It’s not only about the structure and shape at the back, but also about ensuring communication. The attention to detail helps improve performance as a goalkeeper.”
Bansari Solanki, who has made four appearances for the Indian senior team, expressed enthusiasm about the camp experience. She said, “The key learnings for me throughout the camp would be decision making under pressure, guiding and organising the defence, and staying as calm as possible while on the field. Staying in control of these things allows a goalkeeper to bring more consistency.”
Providing insight into the coaching approach, Solanki added, “We had good goalkeeper sessions in this camp with David. We worked on making our basics stronger and highlighted some minor adjustments which can help us make big differences in our game. Meanwhile, with Sjoerd sir, we worked more on the tactical side of things – our skills, set pieces, and defensive work on penalty corners. His sessions were more focused on understanding the different situations of the game and organising the defence accordingly.”