Pursuing goals

"The city (Port Blair in the Andaman and Nicobar islands) was quite nice, the football grounds and facilities were good, comparatively better than some of the other venues we had played the nationals at. There were 24 states participating. We’ve never had that number before,” says Jazeel Limzerwala, captain of the Maharashtra team at the under 19 (U/19) national football tournament in Port Blair in December 2008. The travelling however was tough, he says, with the team going from Bombay to Madras and thence to Port Blair by ship — a three days and three nights voyage! Muscle reconditioning took a while thereafter. "We reached the quarter finals and then lost,” he states.

Limzerwala had also been captain earlier of the U/14 and U/16 Maha­rash­tra teams at the nationals. Now 17, Limzerwala is in the science stream at the Jaihind College in Bombay and is studying for his HSC (Higher Secondary Certificate) exams. He was adjudged Best Sportsman of the Year 2008/09 by his college. Two years ago, the lad had scored a phenomenal 93.84 percent at the Standard X board exams.

Jazeel Limzer­wala in India colors

Training at the Kenkre Football Academy, the teenager was selected the best U/17 player of the Academy, states his bio data. Chosen to play for the U/10 football team of his school (Don Bosco) when he was only seven, he was later made captain for the U/12, U/14 and U/16 squads at MSSA (Mumbai School Sports Association), DSO (District Sports Office) and state level tournaments. Top football club Mahindra United had shortlisted him for the Indian leg of the Manchester United Premier Cup U/15 team. He was also called for the selection camp in Goa for the U/16 national team, his bio data adds.

At the XXIX Jal Pardivala All Parsees Athletic Meet in February, Limzerwala set a new meet record in the boys U/19 long jump with a distance of 5.85 mts. Representing the Bombay Parsi Punchayet (BPP), he won seven individual golds plus two relay medals of the same color. He was the individual champion in his age group and was also the Fastest Man of the Meet.

Football, he says, has given him much — physical attributes, team spirit, inner strength, the will to fight back when the team is on the wrong side of the scoreline... He laughingly adds that he has the footballer’s proverbial short fuse! "My mum says I shout too much at my players! She attends all my matches to see I don’t get too agitated. I’m improving! I’m also keeping my football and academic options open.”