After Kolkata camp, 2 girls picked up for Croatian football club trials

KOLKATA: Two young girls — Jyoti Chauhan and Soumya Guguloth — who had participated in a camp at CCFC club in Kolkata from June 6 to June 11, have been invited by football club Dinamo Zagreb for extended trials in Croatia. Twelve girls — four are from the Indian senior national team and eight who play for Indian women’s league — had got the opportunity to showcase their talents in front of foreign coaches from Australia, Croatia, Scotland, Spain at the camp organised by Women In Sports, and supported by Debanjan Sen Foundation, Football players association of India and the Calcutta Cricket and Football Club.
Jyoti Chauhan and Soumya Guguloth will fly to Croatia in the first week of August and stay there for ten days to hone their skills and learn more about the game. They are overwhelmed and excited to get this opportunity. Both girls spoke about the hurdles they faced from society and family, but it was sheer grit and determination that helped them chase their dreams.
Jyoti, part of Indian Women’s league, hails from Indore and has been playing football for more than ten years. “It was a tough struggle after my father died because relatives and family members did not support my game as I am a girl. But my father always wanted me to become a footballer. My mother gave me the courage to fight and supported me in this journey,” said Chauhan.
Hyderabad’s Soumya, who is part of the Indian senior national team, remembers the days when she used to sneak out of her house to play football. She said, “People still discriminate between a woman’s game and a man’s game in our country. The best opportunities are reserved for the men’s team, whereas there is a lack of tournaments, sponsors and infrastructure for the women’s team.” She feels that there is a need to bridge this gap.
Sanaya Mehta Vyas, founder, Women In Sports said that she is thrilled that the girls have got this opportunity and is thankful to the partners who have supported them in this initiative.