Jazeel — on the ball!

"The Pele of Parel” (Parsiana, Sports, February 2005) is in the news once again, and for all the right reasons.

Sixteen-year-old Jazeel Firdosh Lim­zerwalla of Don Bosco School has scored the highest marks, 93.84 percent, in the SSC examination from his school and from among all Parsi candidates who appeared for the exam in 2007 from Bombay.

No small achievement by itself, his success is more noteworthy because Limzerwalla continued to play high level football throughout his last year in school. Most top-notch students give up extracurricular activities in the final year, concentrating all their energy and attention on the magic goal of 90+ percent. But this young lad missed his terminal exams because he was representing his school in football and he bypassed the prelims because he was playing in the Nationals in Calcutta!

"One can make the time and effort for anything, if one wants it badly enough,” believes Limzerwalla who "pleaded with my mom and dad to let me continue playing football, promising that I would give studies my undivided attention when not playing major matches.” Starting from the summer of 2006, he put in eight hours of concentrated studies (during the holidays), routine school work and three tuitions every day. "It was tough man, but it was worth it,” said Limzerwalla, pleased with his success.

Jazeel Limzerwalla: high academic achievement

Limzerwalla has joined the science stream in Jai Hind College and has aspirations to be an airline pilot and play top level football. "But not after his class XII exam,” said his mother Keyan firmly. "He must have a graduate degree behind him.” Fortunately Limzerwalla sees the sense of it too.

Mahindra United, a top professional team, has asked Limzerwalla to play for them. For the present though, he has joined the Kenkre Football Academy. "I will make him an international player,” says his coach. And that is Limzerwalla’s dream.

With his disarming smile and athletic prowess, Limzerwalla is popular with the young girls and boys at Finlay Towers (where he lives) and the adjoining A. H. Wadia Baug. "If you scroll his phone, you will only find girls’ numbers,” complained Keyan, with pride underlying her plaint!

Reading, music and watching sports on TV are Limzerwalla’s favorite pastimes. He is one young man who is on the ball — literally! While football is his passion he is adept at all ball games from table tennis to football and everything in between.

A cow-lick of hair at the nape of his neck is his style statement, family support, his strength, and the determination to succeed, his greatest asset.

No sport, even at school level, is without its frustrations. Biased selections, "push, pull... submitting of doctored age certificates are practices which bring our morale down,” revealed Limzerwalla. "Hopefully, when it matters most, selection will be based on merit. And I will make it!”

Dilnavaz E. Bhagwagar