They are three city boys in the Indian Hockey Federation's team for the MCC Muruguppa hockey tournament at Chennai and have been under the tutelage of Marzaban Patel for some part of their career.

Though Patel is quick to deny a hand in shaping their careers, the parents of all three would hear none of it. They were effusive in praise, insisting that `Bawa', as he is popularly known, deserves major credit.

The three practically grew up together -- Vijay and Conroy in St Blaise (Amboli) and Viren in St Stanislaus, Bandra. Rivals in inter-school competitions, they remained friends off field. And then `Bawa' picked them up and put them in the Bombay Republicans team.

Experience there has influenced their future, though each has moved away Viren plays for Tatas, Vijay for Customs and Conroy for Rashtriya Chemicals and Fertilizers.

Their selection to the IHF side, after sterlingperformances in the Junior Nationals at Bangalore where Bombay lost in the final to Air-India, met with mixed reactions. Eric Rasquinha read it in the papers though his son had hinted he might be in the team, Edin Alphonso was shocked, and Digby Remedios was plain surprised.

But the boys have their parents to thank -- for support and encouragement. They give their sons a free hand to play hockey, and not insist on academic laurels. Then, they have been lucky -- all the boys have excelled in academics despite their involvement in sport.

Edwin, a teacher, takes care of his son's education and gives the St Xavier's second year BA student coaching at home. Digby is willing to stand by the Khalsa College student in his sporting pursuits, never mind studies, an opinion seconded by his wife Ella. Eric has even little to bother his son was 13th in SSC a few years ago and studies second year B Com in MMK, Bandra and topped this year.

With that pressure off their backs, the boys had to merely follow Bawa'sdictum. ``Bawa encouraged Viren from the time he was 14,'' said Eric, adding ``Olympian Marcelus Gomes, international Nasir Khan and school coach Hycinth Nazareth also played vital roles and his college gives him complete support.''

``Totally Bawa. He deserves complete credit along with school coach Everest Gonsalves and Mukul Pandey,'' added Edwin. Digby added: ``Bawa would take him to play after school, moulded the quiet boy to a strong player. And, of course, the blessings of the Almighty and his mother's encouragement.''Vijay and Conroy are also the then St Blaise principal Fr Andrew Mukabam's pride. ``Good students and so obedient,'' recalled Fr Andrew. ``But then, family has the biggest influence and we also helped along.''

There were some others, who experts feel, should have been selected from the Bombay squad in IHF Juniors. Like Asad Khan, scorer of 10 goals in the tournament, Stanley Fernandes and Robindro Singh, all of whom had an outstanding tournament but missed the bus albeit temporarily.But the fact remains that the team, extremely popular in Bangalore, won due to a combined efforts of all youngsters.

``To beat Punjab and Sind Bank was not small thing,'' said Bombay Hockey Association president Dilbagh Singh Bakshi. ``We trained our team best and with little luck, could have beaten Air-India too.'' With the junior camp coming up, more city youngsters can hope to get selected, and with this performance and the astro turf back where it belongs, sun shines again on Mumbai hockey.