Hafizuddin can’t afford to be a half-past-six keeper at Olympic qualifiers

Stick to our goals: Hafizuddin Othman (second from left) at training with his teammates under the watchful eyes of national goalkeepers coach S. Kumar (left). — MHC

PETALING JAYA: Hockey goalkeeper Hafizuddin Othman wants to turn into an impenetrable wall during penalty corner set-pieces to help the Speedy Tigers finish among the top three at the FIH Olympic Qualifiers in Muscat, Oman, from Jan 15-21.

Hafizuddin had a torrid time in the crucial games against South Korea (3-4), China (4-4) and Pakistan (2-5) where he let in six penalty corners and conceded two penalty strokes in the Asian Games in Hangzhou where Malaysia finished sixth.