Dronacharya awardee Bawa Patel overwhelmed and anxious ahead of trip to New Delhi

Nandakumar Marar


The first two trips to New Delhi for Bawa were spent through long discussions about hockey.   -  SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

Merzban Patel’s third trip of his life to New Delhi, for the August 29 National Sports Day awards ceremony, gives him the most anxiety. Two earlier visits to the national capital happened in 2001 and 2012. Patel, the coach who nurtured many hockey Olympians and World Cuppers from Mumbai, accompanied a young goalkeeper Adrian D’Souza 19 years ago for a trial conducted by Air India academy at the National stadium.