Age no bar

With an average age of 15, Bombay Republican B is the youngest team to play in the MHA league

His hockey stick almost equals his height, but that doesnt stop 13-year-old Aditya Shirke from wielding it against big, burly opponents at the Mumbai Hockey Associations (MHA) League matches at the Mahindra Stadium. And when you look around, most of his teammates from Bombay Republican B match him in stature and age.

Bombay Republican B is the youngest team to enterthe MHA League this year, with 15 being the averageage of their players. “I wanted to give youngsters exposure to the artificial turf and thats why I let them play here. And their standard of hockey is no less than other experienced outfits in the league,” said Merzban Patel, coach ofthe team.

Patel, who has been involved with school hockey for over two decades, hunts for talent at inter-school tournaments and picks them up for further fine-tuning. “There are only a few schools like Don Bosco High School, Childrens Academy and Our Lady of Dolores School that encourage hockey in Mumbai. Majority of these boys are from these schools,” he said.

What attracts kids to hockey in these cricket-crazy times, and keeps them glued to the sport are players from the club who have made it to the international scene. Apart from that, its Patel who keeps a tab on the boys to keep them focussed. “If I dont see a boy for practice here at MHA, I call his parents to check why he hasnt come. I get involved with the boys at a very personal level and do whatever I can to keep them involved in the game,” Patel said.

Having fared well in the third division in the last season, the team got promoted to second division this year. Their run in the league so far is worth a mention. Having played three matches, they are now on four points, with a win, draw and a loss under their hat.

The future? “Give me two more years and this team will be one of the top teams in Mumbai,” vows Patel.