Former I-League striker from Kerala makes Indian team for SAFF Futsal Championship

A Malayali is part of the national men's squad for the SAFF Futsal Championship in Thailand, which was announced by the All India Football Federation on Wednesday.

Hafis A M, a native of Kundayithode near Feroke in Kozhikode district, is the only Keralite in the 14-member national squad coached by Iranian Reza Kordi.

Hafis was one of the stars of Real Malabar FC that won the 2nd state Futsal Championship last year, scoring a hat-trick in the final. He scored six goals in the national championship in Delhi, where the team from Kerala reached the playoffs. "The national coach asked me to attend a camp in Bengaluru. There were 40 people at the camp and I was selected," said Hafis.

At 30, Hafis is one of the senior-most members of the side. But unlike a majority of youngsters who turn to Futsal early, Hafis joined the action-packed arena only two years ago.

Before that, he was a striker who played on bigger playgrounds, at stages such as the I-League, Calcutta Football League and the Kerala Premier League.

Hafis represented I-League side Churchill Brothers for two seasons and was part of the second division club Kerala United. "It took me some time to adjust to the style of play in Futsal because there is a huge difference from normal football," said Hafis.

He says the pace of Futsal makes it more demanding. "You cannot rest a moment because the game is so fast. We worked so hard on fitness to be ready for this challenge," Hafis said.

As Futsal is still in its infancy in the country, not much is known about the comparative strength of the SAFF opponents. Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka are the other teams in the championship that will be held at the Nonthaburi Stadium in Bangkok from January 14 to 26.