The 64-year-old Bobby Jaikaran first came into contact with Ajax fifty years ago in his home country Suriname and that love has never left. Bobby follows everything that has to do with his favorite club and this week he even traveled from Suriname to De Lutte, to the Ajax training camp. Also today during the exhibition game with Paderborn, Bobby is back on the line cheering on his heroes.
The duel with Paderborn is the conclusion of Ajax’s training camp. Tuesday was won 3-0 against SV Meppen and today a meeting with another German club follows. The big names are not there yet this week, it is mainly a lot of young talents. But that didn’t stop Bobby from making the 22-hour journey. “Just the fact that you are at Ajax is beautiful. I don’t just enjoy the players, I also enjoy everything around it,” says Bobby. “And the colors of the outfit, that’s sacred to me.”
“Love started in my youth, at school in Suriname”, says Bobby about the origin of his Ajax love. “Our teacher, who had just returned from the Netherlands, told daily about Ajax. The Ajax of the 1970s with Johan Cruijff. And that love has never left.”
The duel against Paderborn, which plays at the second level in Germany, is not a great success. After the first half it is still 2-1 for Ajax, thanks to two goals from Mohamed Ihattaren. In the half, Alfred Schreuder brings a lot of youth into the field and with those new names it goes a lot less in the second half. Final score: 2-5 for Paderborn.
Ajax will leave for Amsterdam immediately after the match, Bobby’s return journey will take a bit longer. “It’s been a bit disappointing in terms of the game, but I think we had a wonderful afternoon and it was wonderful to be there. One of these days I’m going back and next time I hope to be there again.”