Aditi Chauhan Retires From Football, Looks Back On 'Imaginary' Journey

Sports Football

Posted by AI on 2025-07-18 14:36:09 | Last Updated by AI on 2026-02-12 05:22:01

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Among Aditi Chauhan's favorite memories is captaining India in a game against Iran at the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon, South Korea. It was a landmark moment for Indian football, sending a message to the world that the women's game in the nation was progressing.

"I remember vividly, we were playing in Incheon, South Korea, and we had a great game against Iran. We scored two goals and ended up drawing the game. The crowd that had come to watch the men's football team was also cheering us on," Chauhan told ESPN.

"That moment, I think, was a message to the country and the rest of the world that Indian women's football is here to stay, and it's progressing. It gave us all a lot of confidence, and I'm sure it inspired many more girls to take up the sport."

On Sunday, the Mumbai-based goalkeeper retired from football, bringing the curtain down on a 17-year career that included 57 caps for the Indian national team.

The 31-year-old reflected on her career in an interview with ESPN, terming her journey "unimaginable" at the start.

"If you had told a 10-year-old Aditi Chauhan that you will play football for India, she would have laughed at you and said, 'Aditi Singh Rajawat is also my name.' Because it was unimaginable for us to even think of playing sport, let alone football, for India back then," she said.

"Even though there was no structured process or any serious women's football in India back then, my journey has kind of mirrored the growth of women's football in India. We started playing on concrete grounds, switching between different positions, not having proper kits, not having a proper tournament to look forward to, not having professional clubs back home, and finally, not even thinking that playing for India was a viable career option."

Chauhan's retirement comes six months after fellow goalkeeper Lara Fatemah Karimi Rakowsk retired from football. Rakowsk, who was also coached by Chauhan, was hailed as one of India's brightest prospects when she moved to the nation as a 16-year-old.

Chauhan said she will continue to be involved in football, with her focus on coaching and developing the next generation. She has already begun her AIFF 'D' license coaching course.

"I always wanted to give back to the sport and make a difference to more lives through football. Just because I won't be in a playing role doesn't mean I won't be working towards the development of the sport," she said.

"I will continue to coach, and there are a few other avenues which I am looking at which can help develop women's football in India even further. Let's see how it goes."

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