On Saturday, India hockey goalkeeper Suraj Karkera made a couple of fine saves during his team's 6-0 win over Malaysia in the Olympic Test Event match in Tokyo. But, when he was a kid studying in Mumbai's Children's Academy School, Karkera's mother would fume at the thought of her son playing hockey. But his coach, Merzban Patel, would hide the boy and get him to the ground from school to practice.

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That, quite simply, sums up the life and tale of 69-year-old Patel, who was on Saturday recommended for the Dronacharya Award (lifetime category) along with two other coaches by the selection committee.

Patel, fondly known as Bawa in Mumbai hockey circles, has produced Olympians, internationals and multiple state level hockey players from the city across four decades of spotting and grooming talent. His coaching CV also comprises mentoring a number of kids, including many underprivileged ones, at the Republicans Club, alongside nurturing budding hockey players at the Children's Academy.

His entry for the award was sent by one of his former students who has played at the highest level.

"The award is not surprising because of the work that I've done over the years, and that too without a proper academy, ground or financial help," Patel said. The last bit is the key, for modern-day coaching involves a lot of economics. Not for Patel, though, who for around 40 years, ran the Republicans Club on loan from lenders until about seven years ago, when Godrej started chipping in with support.

"I've never aimed for any rewards," Patel said. "I'm on the ground 365 days a year for three-four hours every day. It's purely for the love of hockey."

(Merzban Patel (centre), with Yuvraj and Devinder Walmiki (right))

Viren Rasquinha, former India captain and Olympian who was one of Patel's pupils, said: "He has sold off his possessions to give young, poor talented kids the chance to play hockey. Bawa eats, sleeps and breathes hockey."

Patel was never a quality hockey player himself, and, as he admitted, isn't a star coach either, for he has no formal coaching experience. But, he has an uncanny trait that only a select few coaches around the world possess.

"I have a God's gift. I can look at a boy and tell whether he can play hockey or not. I analyse his/her body structure, running style and things like that. It's just an instinct that I have," Patel claimed.

"I can coach players up to the under-16 level, then the bigger coaches can take over. My job is to bring youngsters to a certain level," he added.

Patel now concentrates more on coaching the school kids at Children's Academy, from where he is confident he will gift the country more players.

"I train the boys till 10.30 pm, and credit must go to them, their parents and principal Rohan Bhat. I'm as strict as loving to them. Whenever I coach, I make it my family," he said.

Patel is scheduled to have a combined cataract and glaucoma operation in September or October. Yet, it's not the surgery that he is scared of. "How will I sit at home for 20 days without hockey? That's my biggest fear," he said.And how long does he plan to continue coaching? "I'll coach till I die, till my hands and legs are working. The day I sit at home, I'll die," Patel said.