Chauhan is the first ever Indian footballer to score a goal in the Croatian Top Division League.
New Delhi: Indian women’s footballer Jyoti Chauhan, a former Gokulam Kerala FC player in the Indian Women’s League (IWL), scripted history in Croatia as she became the first Indian to score a hattrick in Europe against ZNK Agram in the final league game of the season in the Croatian Women’s League on Sunday.
The 23-year-old, who plies her trade for Croatian giants Dinamo Zagreb scored in the 28th, 37th, and 46th minute of the match as her team won comprehensively by 4-1. The ex Gokulam woman, who hails from Madhya Pradesh’s Dhar is also the first ever Indian footballer to score a goal in the Croatian Top Division League back in March this year. She scored her first goal for the club in the 89th minute in Zagreb’s 4-0 win over Rijeka. Since then, the star Indian footballer has been a regular starter in the playing XI.
Indian women’s national team player Soumya Guguloth and her GKFC teammate Jyoti Chauhan became the first Indian women’s players to get a contract in Croatia’s topmost league. Both young players were signed by ZNK Dinamo Zagreb after a successful trial in Croatia. Both teammates have signed a year-long contract with the club. Soumya and Jyoti are also the first-ever international footballers to play for the Croatian club.
Dinamo Zagreb is the most successful club in the history of the Croatian League, having won a record-breaking 46 trophies. Their men’s football team competed in the UEFA Champions League 2022–23 group stage with powerhouses like AC Milan and Chelsea.
Coming from a small village of Madhya Pradesh’s Sardarpur (Dhar), Jyoti lost her father when she was just 12 years old and it’s her mother, who works as an agricultural labourer to run the family.
Written By – Utkarsh Rathour