Tashkent (Uzbekistan), Sept. 7 -- Mahesh Gawali is usually a man of few words. Those who know him well know that. Disciplined, hardworking and understated, he was one of India's finest defenders during a playing career that spanned almost two decades.
Now, as a coach, he has led India back to the AFC U20 Asian Cup after a 20-year wait. None of the players who achieved it on Sunday had even been born the last time India played in the tournament. If there are three words that have become synonymous with Gawali's speeches to his players, they are discipline, concentration and attitude.
He is stern, he is demanding, and he expects a lot. But there is a difference between being strict and being harsh.
Gawali is never the latter. Every now and...