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Auto Driver's Son Fulfills His Father's Dream, Becomes Kerala's New Football Sensation
Writer: Tashafi Nazir
For most people, journalism sounds hectic and chaotic. For her, it's a passion she has been chasing for years. With an extensive media background, Tashafi believes in putting efforts on presenting a simple incident in the most interesting way.
Kerala, 2 May 2022 11:36 AM GMT
Editor : Shiva Chaudhary |
A post-graduate in Journalism and Mass Communication with relevant skills, specialising in content editing & writing. I believe in the precise dissemination of information based on facts to the public.
Creatives : Tashafi Nazir
For most people, journalism sounds hectic and chaotic. For her, it's a passion she has been chasing for years. With an extensive media background, Tashafi believes in putting efforts on presenting a simple incident in the most interesting way.
Jesin T K is now the first player in Santosh Trophy history to score five goals as a substitute. In addition, he is the new owner of the Kerala record for the most number of goals in a game in the tournament.
Jesin T K, a 22-year-old from Kerala, became the state's new football sensation on April 28 after he created history by scoring five goals in his team's 7-3 win after coming on as a substitute.
His biggest cheerleader has been his auto driver father Mohammed Nizar. When Kerala played Karnataka in the Santosh Trophy semifinal last week, Nizar desperately wanted to watch his son's game from the stands. But by the time he was done with his day's trips, it was too late to reach the stadium on time. However, he saw it on the live stream later.
Jesin is now the first player in Santosh Trophy history to score five goals as a substitute. In addition, he is the new owner of the Kerala record for the most number of goals in a game in the tournament, which was previously held by Asif Saheer, who had scored four against Bihar in 1999 edition.
Jesin's father now plans to call it a day on May 2 by the afternoon and travel with the family to Manjeri to watch the final game and says it will be the biggest day of his life.
"I wanted to become a footballer too, but I was not focused. I got into different sports like athletics, basketball and kabaddi and took none. Back then, I did not have anyone to advise me properly. My son was also good in athletics, and he was into sprinting and all. I gave him the advice to focus on just one thing at a time and I'm delighted that he has stuck to football," Nizar said, according to The Indian Express.
Levelled Score Within Four Minutes
Jesin was brought on in the 30th minute against Karnataka when the hosts were trailing by a goal. After showcasing his speed to get to a through-pass, the striker levelled the score within four minutes by lifting the ball over the onrushing goalkeeper. Then, he struck again in the 42nd and 44th minutes to secure a hat-trick within 15 minutes and set Kerala on their way to an easy win before scoring two more goals in the second half.
Jesin, who represents Kerala United, says he owes his performance to Bino George, the Kerala coach who also guides the club and coaches at MES College in Mampad where he is pursuing graduation in Arabic.
"I have never been a part of any district team. But I got the chance to play Kerala Premier League, I-League second division and now Santosh Trophy due to my coaches at MES, Murugan sir, Rafeeq sir, and George sir," he said.
Jesin's grandmother also played a crucial role in his early years in football, says his father.
"When Jesin was a child, managing my meagre earnings as an auto driver was challenging, and I went to the Gulf for several years and worked there. During that time, my mother (Aamina) used to take him to a football academy in Nilambur. She had a desire to watch him become a footballer just as much as I did. Unfortunately, she passed away when he was in the eighth grade. She would have been so happy today," Nizar stated.
The elders in the family also chipped in to help the young boy buy football boots.
Other Goal Scorers For Kerala
The 22-year-old is not the only player from Malappuram who has thrived in front of the local people. The two other goalscorers for Kerala against Karnataka also hail from the same district, one is midfielder Arjun Jayaraj, who plays for Kerala United, and another is N S Shighil of Bengaluru FC (reserves). Defenders Mohammed Saheef, and midfielders Fasalu and Salman K Rahman, make it six players from Malappuram in the Kerala squad.
If Kerala beats West Bengal for their seventh crown and the first after the 2018 edition, it will be remembered for the Malappuram flavour in more ways than one. On May 2, at least 25,000 are expected to watch the match.
"The people here are so passionate about this game, and they get right behind us. Their support is a big motivation for us as players, and it helps to boost our energy," Jesin shared.
"We have already beaten West Bengal in the group stage by 2-0. If we play to our potential, I'm sure we can win the final too. We will give our 100 per cent for sure. Hopefully, I can be the super-sub once again," he said.
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