After Croatia heroics, Jyoti turns focus on India

Jyoti Chouhan is now into her second season at ZNK Dinamo ZagrebWhen Jyoti Chouhan signed for ZNK Dinamo Zagreb and first landed in Croatia last year, she stepped into unfamiliar territory.
The ambitious footballer from Sardarpur in Madhya Pradesh’s Dhar district couldn’t understand a word of Croatian, the weather wasn’t kind, food not to her liking, and the footballers all physically stronger.The transition from Indian football to Europe wasn’t easy.

“The language was a big barrier at the start, besides of course the food,” Jyoti told TOI. “That troubled me, but then I started focusing on my game. I told myself, ‘if I am playing outside, I have to make plenty of sacrifices’.”

ZNK Dinamo Zagreb did play their part in making things easier for Jyoti. The club hired a translator. His job was to explain basic words, particularly those used on the field, so that the striker could communicate better.It helped.

“The first word I was taught was ball (lopta). Next was ‘pass the ball’. Soon we picked up these basic things. Now it’s very easy to speak with them, train, understand what they say. I learned a lot of things, and taught them a few Hindi words too,” said Jyoti.

Jyoti, 24, overcame the odds in her first season to finish with 10 goals for ZNK Dinamo Zagreb in 18 matches and helped them to a third-place finish in the Croatian Women’s First Football League.She also became the first Indian woman to score a hat-trick in European top-flight football.Now, Jyoti is back in Zagreb for her second season, though unlike last season, she doesn’t have her teammate Soumya Guguloth by her side.“I will miss Soumya, it helped a lot having her here. I attend training (with the others), but when a fellow India player is around, you are more comfortable. I don’t talk much with the others. I just wish more Indian players join me here,” said Jyoti.Jyoti and Soumya were spotted by ZNK Dinamo Zagreb coaches during the elite women’s football trials in Kolkata. There were players from across the country vying for attention, but the duo caught the eye and became the first two Indian footballers to ply their trade in Croatia.This season too, Jyoti took part in the elite women’s football trial, organised by Women in Sports, and quite easily emerged as the best footballer.“My aim is to score a hat-trick, have a goal to my name or an assist whenever I take the field. But most importantly, I want us to become champions. Last season, we lost the Cup final and finished third in the league. Now the target is high; we have to become champions,” said Jyoti.Born third of five daughters, Jyoti has come a long way since she first took to football when in Class IV. She didn’t have enough support growing up and her father’s death when she was still young only added to the misery.Jyoti, however, fought the odds, thanks to her self-belief and determination, first making it to the India Schools team, then the juniors and eventually representing ZNK Dinamo Zagreb, the biggest football club in Croatia.At home, there’s still unfinished business.“I’ve attended two senior India camps but never represented the country,” said Jyoti. “I want to play for India, that has been my dream. I’ve played in Europe, did well here, now I want to do well with the country.”She has that chance now.Before flying to Croatia, Jyoti attended the senior India team camp in Bhubaneswar for a week and finished her time there with a hat-trick in a friendly.India coach Thomas Dennerby was impressed and told Jyoti he was happy with her performance. Last week, when the Swedish coach announced the India squad for the Asian Games, nobody was surprised that the Croatia-based striker made it to the final squad.After Croatia, where Jyoti scored a hat-trick, wearing the India blue in China will be another dream come true.