Aditi Chauhan: The Indian Goalkeeper Building Resilience In Female Footballers

Aditi Chauhan is gathering global attention for her commitment to changing the status of female footballers in India. Having moved to the UK in 2015 to study, Chauhan joined West Ham United Woman’s team as their goalkeeper, becoming the first Indian woman to play for an English Football club, before moving back to Delhi. Chauhan is now the goalkeeper for Gokulam Kerala FC and the Indian National team, and the founder of She Kicks, a Football Academy providing training for young females in her country.

When discussing her journey into football, Chauhan explains that it wasn’t until she was in her mid-teens that she took up her position in goal. “I am a black belt in karate, played at district level in basketball, and then I was in athletics. I started very late in football, my first competitive match was when I was 16.” Through her own experiences, Chauhan recognised the lack of opportunities for females in her society, not only within sport but also in terms of female rights and gender inequalities, motivating her to create change through the opening of She Kicks Academy.

““She Kicks FA has supported those who have always longed to kick the ball and show the world that she can KICK, kick all the prejudices and worries. We want to make these young talents believe that they have all the strength in the world to achieve their goals and ambitions they are willing to fight for.””

Chauhan joined with her mother to invest and fully self-fund the opening of She Kicks Academy in Dwarka, Delhi, in 2018. Since then, the Academy has opened a second centre in Gurugram, with a total of 10 coaches and over 40 trainees from a diverse range of background involved in the project. This substantial growth reflects the popularity and necessity of such spaces, with the majority of attendees belonging to the Under-15 teams.

As a country, women’s football is expected to develop substantially with India hosting the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in 2021, followed by the AFC Asian Cup in 2022. Something which Chauhan has noted will help bring more awareness to her country’s sporting talent. “There is so much potential in India. I want more girls to get such exposures, and learn from playing against better opponents. The players who will play in these tournaments will be the future senior national team players. With more avenues for younger girls coming up, I am sure there will be others who will follow.”

““She Kicks FA is a stage for all the deserving female football players who want to step out and make a difference not only on the field but also in the society.””

She Kicks prides itself on using football as a tool to teach important life skills including self-confidence, communication, mental and physical strength and holistic personal development. Such characteristics are of fundamental importance in all societies, particularly in India where gender inequality is still violently present. “At She Kicks FA, we believe that every girl deserves to do whatever she wishes or wants. This Academy helps you build a unique you.”

Follow Aditi on Twitter here, Instagram @aditichauhan_official and the She Kicks Football Academy @shekicksfa

Words: Bethany Burgoyne