Taeke TAEKEMA

Country:          Netherlands
Date of Birth: 14 January1980
Gender:            Male
Height:             180 cm
Weight:            83 kg
Position:          Defender

Dutch defender Taeke Taekema is a feared man at penalty corners because of his wicked drag flicks.

He debuted for the Netherlands as a 20-year-old in a friendly match against Egypt in 2000, and later that year was a member of the silver medal-winning side at the Athens 2004 Olympic. He has won four Champions Trophy titles with the Dutch side (2000, 2002, 2003 and 2006) as well as the 2007 European Championship.

A keen golfer in his spare time, he was born in Geldrop near Eindhoven and currently plays for the Amsterdam Hockey and Bandy Club in the Dutch capital.

Taekema says his boyhood hero was Taco van den Honert who won gold with the Dutch men's hockey team at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.

Copyright: FIH / Infostrada Sports