Twenty-five-year-old Curtorim lad makes the cut for the big league
PANAJI
Quiet and unassuming, Jovel Martins life took a progressive turn and came under the spotlight on July 23. The 25-year-old left wing-back oblivious of the ISL Draft proceedings on the day in Mumbai, received a call from his friend that a Rs 7.5 lakh salary would be received from FC Goa for the forthcoming ISL. Dismissing off the call as a prank, another call on the same was met with tears of happiness and
excitement.
While admitting that he felt his chances of being selected through the Draft were slim given that he did not feature in the previous I-League season, he was hopeful. The hope stemmed from the fact that his agent had full faith that the Curtorim-based footballer had his resume with enough credits to be selected by one of the 10 teams in ISL 4.
"I feel good. I never felt I would be selected for FC Goa," a delighted Martins told The Goan.
At the start of the year, he had signed up to play for Minerva Punjab in the I-League but just days before the league started he returned home as he could not adapt to the conditions there. "The practice facilities were not up to the mark there. I could not adjust to the food as well," he revealed. But he was promptly taken aboard by Salgaocar FC and toured with them for a local tournament in Mumbai. "In the tourney, we beat Dempo SC in the final, winning on a tie-breaker. Thereon, I played for the club in the Goa 7s at Fatorda and featured in an open tourney thereafter," Martins disclosed.
Martins began playing football with friends in his neighbourhood at eight. He then progressed to represent his alma mater, Our Lady of Carmel High School, Curtorim at the U-14 level. As a promising 14-year-old midfielder, he took to participating in the senior category at inter-ward tournaments in his village. He thereon moved to representing Curtorim Gymkhana at the U-15 level, Salcete FC U-16, Sporting Clube De Goa U-18, before inking a three-year deal with the prestigious Seasa Football Academy. He attributes his success to his Academy Coaches, Ajay Acharya, Vishwas Gaonkar and Anthony D'Souza under whose stead his growth as a player reached another level altogether.
In his second year at the Academy (2008-09), participating in the U-19 I-League in Jamshedpur he had an injury which kept the talented midfielder out of the game for quite a while. But he was back on field with the Goa U-21 side which marked a transition in the upcoming player. The Coach with the side, Alex Alvares moved him from a customary medio role to a left wing-back to fill a position no other player was capable of.
Alvares, who coached Martins at Sporting U-18s was confident that his protégée would able to adjust to a new position on field. And Martins played in his new position with élan to help his side become the U-21 National Champions defeating Jharkhand on their home soil in 2010. And he has continued in that field position since. After a credible performance in his last year at Sesa (2010), the then junior coach at Sporting, Severino Fernandes called him to play for ‘The green' Colts in the U-19 I-League.
He remembers fondly putting it across East Bengal in the finals on their home ground. Impressed by his performances, Sporting President, Peter Vaz and Manager, Anju Albuquerque inked Martins name on a three-year contract with their first team. That year (2010-11), Sporting was relegated from the I-League to the Second Division. He went on to play his part to have his new side return to the top tier. As a left back with Sporting seniors side, for which Martins played until 2015, he earned 64 caps.
