Scoring in Kolkata derby a big moment in my career: Jobby Justin
Three years ago Jobby Justin took a bold decision and left his well-paid job with the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) to chase his dreams in Kolkata. He has no regrets and after three India caps the 26-year-old striker is living his dream.
However, Jobby doesn’t want anyone to blindly follow him. “Don’t follow me. I won’t advice anyone to leave a good government job. But if you have confidence in your ability and the will to do the hard work you can succeed at the highest level,” he told a group of trainees of the LIFFA Academy in a web chat on Monday.
The COVID-19 pandemic has kept him mostly indoors at his home in Vettucadu. But the striker is keeping himself fit by following a strict diet and fitness regime given by his ATK fitness trainer.
“It is off-season for me now but you still need to maintain a certain level of fitness. The weekly schedule is sent on Whatsapp by the trainer and there are certain set of exercises which you have to do on each day. Though it is difficult to maintain a strict diet when you are at home I resist the temptation to eat oily food. I have learnt that having lesser fat in your body helps you to maintain your fitness for longer duration during a match,” he said.
Jobby said featuring in two Kolkata derby matches with East Bengal and scoring two goals were the big moments of his career. “I had heard of this derby matches even before I landed it Kolkata. But it was a great experience to be part of it. The buildup for these matches began a week in advance. The players stayed together and we were fully focussed. It was a new experience for me as I had never played before such a huge crowd of more than sixty thousand. Scoring two goals in the Kolkata derby is certainly one of the high points of my career,” he said.