Aditi Chauhan, India’s first woman to play professional football in Europe, has retired after a 17-year career, leaving an indelible mark on Indian women’s football. The 32-year-old former goalkeeper, who donned the national jersey 57 times, shared her journey with PTI Videos, recalling how she stumbled into football unaware of a national women’s team.

“I started for the fun of the game,” Chauhan said. “I never imagined achieving what I did.” Her career highlights include signing with West Ham United in 2015, winning SAFF Women’s Championships in 2012, 2016, and 2019, and securing gold at the South Asian Games. Domestically, she clinched Indian Women’s League (IWL) titles with Gokulam Kerala FC in 2019-20 and 2021-22, and reached the AFC Women’s Club Championship semifinals.

Despite two ACL injuries, Chauhan fought back to reclaim her spot, driven by a desire to retire on her terms. “I wanted to find that joy again, not leave football on a sour note,” she said. Her decision to step aside was partly to pave the way for younger players.

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Looking ahead, Chauhan is pursuing coaching courses and mentoring through her initiative, SheKicks, to build a professional ecosystem for young female footballers. “I don’t want youngsters to feel limited by resources,” she said, expressing optimism about India’s potential to qualify for the FIFA Women’s World Cup with proper planning.

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