At Machhimar Nagar in Cuffe Parade, residents wake up before the sun comes out. By 5 am, men bundle their nets, dragging their boats into the sea, while women replenish their baskets and leave for Colaba-s Sassoon Docks. Fish is livelihood here.

But, not for Jagdeep Dattaram Dhanu, 37, who lives with his mother, a fisherwoman, in one of the many shanties that dots the enclave. Instead of accompanying his friends to the boats, he heads early to the grounds at Campion School, Fort. Dhanu has been an assistant football coach here since 2012, after he was spotted by head coach Wilfred Alex Alva. It assures him a monthly pay cheque, part of which he now uses to support his passion project: to build a competitive football team at the Colaba Municipal Secondary School in Azad Nagar.