<p>Bengaluru: Football barely found a place among Shreyas Patil’s interests. It only kicked off in 2019 as a bonding ritual between friends in the apartment, and slowly started to take up his time once he made it to the Global Indian International School (GISS) team. </p>.<p>Just like any other school competition, Patil entered the Bengaluru FC Soccer Shield, a tournament that the club organises to unearth new talent, eager to win. And little did he know his life was about to take an unexpected turn. </p>.<p>The Belagavi-born boy immediately caught the eye of the scouts and was drafted into the under-10 BFC team after standout performances. </p>.<p>“I only started playing proper football at nine when I got picked for the school,” Patil told <span class="italic">DH</span>. </p>.<p>“There were many BFC scouts in the Soccer Shield competition. I was awarded the best player and got picked for the under-10 academy by Govardhan sir.”</p>.<p>Word travelled fast. Impressive performances in the under-10s was when the coaches got a better inkling of the talent, and to put it to the test, Patil was promoted to BFC’s U-13 residential academy at the Inspire Institute of Sport (IIS) in Bellary on a scholarship programme. </p>.<p>“The very next year, I got promoted to the under-13 residential academy in IIS Bellary. And now I’ve been there till the under-16s.”</p>.Keeping children on football fields and away from streets, Punjab village academy shows the way.<p>Patil continued to impress with his versatility as a fullback and a midfielder, but not many expected the greenhorn to keep delivering. The consistency opened the doors to the Karnataka U-16 side, and he was soon appointed vice-captain.</p>.<p>He also led the BFC U-15 team at the Barati Cup in Indonesia, a competition which saw junior teams from Spain and Argentina participate. And then an even bigger door opened: India U-17 camp. </p>.<p>“I was playing for Karnataka, and they called me up for the India under-17 camp. It was great and a very special moment for the family.”</p>.<p>The rise has been steep, but it has not been one without challenges. And the greatest difficulty has been spending time away from family. The Patil family lives in Whitefield, a place located roughly seven hours from IIS. And it has been hard for the family to keep making the 365-kilometre one-way trip. </p>.<p>“It is not a joyful ride to miss out on family things, but these decisions are made for a better reward in the future. Important to stay committed, have passion for the game, and hopefully hope for the best.”</p>.<p>“My ultimate goal is to reach the BFC first team, play ISL and play <br />for India.”</p>.<p>And that’s why he keeps on pushing. And now he is on the verge of breaking into the under-18s.</p>
<p>Bengaluru: Football barely found a place among Shreyas Patil’s interests. It only kicked off in 2019 as a bonding ritual between friends in the apartment, and slowly started to take up his time once he made it to the Global Indian International School (GISS) team. </p>.<p>Just like any other school competition, Patil entered the Bengaluru FC Soccer Shield, a tournament that the club organises to unearth new talent, eager to win. And little did he know his life was about to take an unexpected turn. </p>.<p>The Belagavi-born boy immediately caught the eye of the scouts and was drafted into the under-10 BFC team after standout performances. </p>.<p>“I only started playing proper football at nine when I got picked for the school,” Patil told <span class="italic">DH</span>. </p>.<p>“There were many BFC scouts in the Soccer Shield competition. I was awarded the best player and got picked for the under-10 academy by Govardhan sir.”</p>.<p>Word travelled fast. Impressive performances in the under-10s was when the coaches got a better inkling of the talent, and to put it to the test, Patil was promoted to BFC’s U-13 residential academy at the Inspire Institute of Sport (IIS) in Bellary on a scholarship programme. </p>.<p>“The very next year, I got promoted to the under-13 residential academy in IIS Bellary. And now I’ve been there till the under-16s.”</p>.Keeping children on football fields and away from streets, Punjab village academy shows the way.<p>Patil continued to impress with his versatility as a fullback and a midfielder, but not many expected the greenhorn to keep delivering. The consistency opened the doors to the Karnataka U-16 side, and he was soon appointed vice-captain.</p>.<p>He also led the BFC U-15 team at the Barati Cup in Indonesia, a competition which saw junior teams from Spain and Argentina participate. And then an even bigger door opened: India U-17 camp. </p>.<p>“I was playing for Karnataka, and they called me up for the India under-17 camp. It was great and a very special moment for the family.”</p>.<p>The rise has been steep, but it has not been one without challenges. And the greatest difficulty has been spending time away from family. The Patil family lives in Whitefield, a place located roughly seven hours from IIS. And it has been hard for the family to keep making the 365-kilometre one-way trip. </p>.<p>“It is not a joyful ride to miss out on family things, but these decisions are made for a better reward in the future. Important to stay committed, have passion for the game, and hopefully hope for the best.”</p>.<p>“My ultimate goal is to reach the BFC first team, play ISL and play <br />for India.”</p>.<p>And that’s why he keeps on pushing. And now he is on the verge of breaking into the under-18s.</p>