Indian footballer Aditi Chauhan has inked a deal with English Premier League (EPL) club West Ham United’s ladies team, becoming the first woman from the country to have been signed up by a top club in England.
The club said that Aditi, 22, who has represented the under-19 Indian national women’s team at AFC Qualifiers in Malaysia, was a late addition to their squad during pre-season.
Chauhan’s journey
Chauhan’s football journey kicked off when her school coach asked her to participate in Delhi under-19 team trials.
“At the age of 17, I got selected for the under-19 national team camp and was away from home for almost three months for the first time. But I did not let it get to me because my aim was very clear – to be the first-choice goalkeeper for the team. I trained hard and achieved it. I represented the under-19 Indian national women’s team for AFC Qualifiers at Malaysia,” Chauhan was quoted as saying by a leading daily.
She was appreciated for her contribution to India winning the South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) women’s cup in 2013.
West Ham Ladies are currently in the Football Association’s (FA) Women’s Premier League Southern Division, a league in the third level in the women’s football structure in England.
West Ham’s senior men’s team is a regular at England’s top-flight football, the EPL.
Now, thanks to Chauhan, the squad looks like this:
CHAUHAN: Indian international goalkeeper Aditi Chaucan was a late addition to our squad during pre-season #COYI pic.twitter.com/H45BAnHNJD
— West Ham Ladies (@westhamladies) August 16, 2015
INDIA: Hum dil se west ham ladies me Indian fans ka svagat krte hai Aur apsabko humme yaha follow krne ko aamantrit krte hai #COYI
— West Ham Ladies (@westhamladies) August 17, 2015
Chauhan thanked fans for their support.
Thank you all for the overwhelming response and wishes. I will work hard to make this opportunity count @westhamladies
— Aditi Chauhan (@aditi03chauhan) August 17, 2015
Foreign stints have been few and far between for India’s male footballers too. Former captain Baichung Bhutia struggled to find playing time in Europe while Sunil Chhetri, the best player in the ranks at the moment, had a forgettable stint with Portuguese club Sporting Lisbon’s B team. More recently, Romeo Fernandes of Goa prematurely ended his contract with Brazil’s Atletico PR after failing to get regular playing time.