Mohd Hafizuddin Othman: Malaysia's future!

As has been reported, Malaysia is looking to its future to step up to being the present force in goal. And Mohd Othman is key to Malaysia's future because of the vulnerable age of the country's current crop of goalkeepers. Impressing in training with the senior side having competed in the Junior World Cup a few months ago, he has gotten his chance at the Azlan Shah trophy tournament and potentially in the next lot of international series coming up because of his ability. Hafizuddin was named as the only goalkeeper (a trend for the Olympics rather than anything else with a goalkeeper taking up a spare space in the squad list, on the bench and in the accommodation) for the tour to Perth, clearly proving himself to coaching stuff.

It's not often you see this happen hockey, even if Simone Scuffet has seemingly almost guaranteed his place as third choice for the Italian squad for the Rio World Cup, so it's worth keeping tabs on his future! You can read more about Malaysian reports' viewpoints following the links below:

http://www.veooz.com/news/pG_wZh~.html

http://www.thestar.com.my/Sport/Hockey/2013/11/27/Junior-hockey-keeper-to-be-decided-at-11th-hour.aspx/

http://www.thestar.com.my/Sport/Hockey/2014/02/11/Hafizuddin-the-sole-goalkeeper-named-for-Perth-tour/

Canada's U21's second choice now in TK

Failing to write an in-depth day by day coverage of the World Junior Cup in India (although I hope to do some analysis at some point of those involved), it's a little late offering information on the goalkeepers involved. But kit wise one thing that stood out was Canada's goalkeepers; starter and reserve, being now both in TK kit. Although I think Kevin Pereira has switched to Brabo (going by Twitter info and such), back-up Tristan Burgoyne, has made the switch to TK soft foam, having previously been in Obo. He is also using the TK plus glove, which has greater rebound than the already 'pingy' TK lhp and which also has a curved shape for controlling rebounds down like the Obo face design (designed specifically for that), rather than straight down or up and over. Using a goalkeeper stick as well versus the trend of Canadian goalkeepers for defender's sticks as goalkeeping sticks also stands out.

You can see him in action here, in an athletic dive unfortunately missing the save in question though:

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=473158446130060&set=a.473158336130071.1073741849.257841377661769&type=1&relevant_count=4

Pinnegar using Mazon elbows

There aren't exactly too many English goalkeepers using them throughout the leagues and national league, so it's a little interesting (kit nerd, goalie obsessive wise anyhoo!) to see Tom Pinnegar wearing Mazon elbow pads. The England U21's goalkeeper, who is backing up Harry Gibson at the upcoming Junior World Cup, with Stubbings having fallen out of favour, has been using elbow pads for quite a while, although was in Obo ones before that. With Monarch not currently making their own elbow pads yet, it's a bespoke scenario a lot like when Brothers was sponsored by Mercian in his playing days. Popular in Australia and in Belgium as mentioned previously, it'll be interesting to see how much they catch on (or not as the case may be!) given the options for movement and flexibility that they give us goalkeepers.

Anyways, you can see him in action wearing them here, noticable from the padding around the arm and none on the inside of the elbow:

http://blog.monarchhockey.com/tom-pinnegar-england-u21/