
Indian hockey goalkeepers Savita Punia and Bichu Devi met Caroline Busch, wife of late goalkeeping coach Simon Zijp, ahead of India's World Cup match against Australia. Zijp, a renowned Dutch coach, had…
Indian hockey goalkeepers Savita Punia and Bichu Devi met Caroline Busch, wife of late goalkeeping coach Simon Zijp, ahead of India's World Cup match against Australia. Zijp, a renowned Dutch coach, had trained the two since February 2023 and was due to return in November before passing away in early October.

Caroline handed the goalkeepers chocolates, small wooden shoes and a personal note. Indian goalkeeping coach Pirmin Blaak, himself coached by Zijp, arranged the meeting. Savita said the meeting would be a lifelong good memory for her.
The meeting underscores the close bonds formed in professional sport even over short stints. Zijp had worked with Savita and Bichu for less than a year. Savita had earlier credited him with helping her mental comeback from an injury layoff. The gesture by Caroline, visiting the team while grieving, shows the human side often hidden behind tournament results. India missed the semifinals by one goal and will play Germany for fifth place on Sunday.
Source: timesnownews.com
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