Aditi Chauhan and Tanvie Hans: Bending it, from Delhi to England

Moments after she signed a contract with West Ham United, a very excited Aditi Chauhan called her family to tell them the big news. Little did the Chauhans, who live in Delhi's Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Marg, know that the youngest member of their family had just achieved a major milestone in her football career. Aditi had become the first Indian woman and third Indian to be signed by a top English club.
On asking her whether the feeling had sunk in yet, the 22-year-old tells us over the phone from London, "It is, gradually. I only realised what a big deal it was when all the buzz was created on social media."
Aditi's first match ended in a 0-5 loss to Coventry United. "It was very disappointing, but I understood how much I needed to improve," she says. She played for Loughborough University in Leicestershire, where she was pursuing her masters in sports management. Despite her wanting to play for the Football Association Women's Super League, as recommended by her coach, she chose West Ham, as they were looking for a goalkeeper. She was also told that FA rules do not allow her to play for a Super League club with a student visa.
Not just sports, Aditi was good in studies as well. She scored more than 93% in class XII and went on to pursue B. Com from Jesus and Mary College. "I chose JMC because it had a good football team. I was never into partying. However, I would spend quality time with my friends at Satya Niketan and in South Ex."
Aditi shares that she always had a strong support system. "Nobody ever dissuaded me from pursuing my passion. I wasn't taunted for playing a typically 'man's sport'. Here in London as well, when I play with boys at the park near my apartment, they appreciate me," she says.
Aditi's mother Shivani Chauhan says that Aditi started playing sports because of her father AV Chauhan. Her brother Aditya is also doing his MBA in sports management from the US. "We were shocked when Aditi told us that she wanted to play football. Despite her father wanting her to pursue something like tennis or badminton, we supported her decision. She has always made us proud," says Aditi's mother.
Aditi, who is also a black belt in Karate, took up football in class IX. She represented Delhi in the under-19 category and later went on to be part of the Indian team that lifted the South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) Women's Cup in 2013. "In Delhi, a lot of girls play the game at the school and college level. But a lack of opportunities after that makes them drop out. We desperately need a professional league for women footballers in India. In the UK, the quality of the game is much better, mostly because of better infrastructure, facilities and better coaches as well," she says.
"When I told my friends that I played for India, they were surprised that India too had a women's football team. They had only heard about the Indian cricket team. For football to progress in India, players need global exposure and experience," she says.
Aditi is making the most of her stay in London, where she also interns at a sports goods company. "I like travelling. Last Christmas, I travelled around Europe and hopefully, will travel this Christmas as well," she says. However, she misses Delhi every day. "Delhi is my city. I miss the street food, my friends and family, my coach Om Chibber and trainer Dev Chauhan."
Aditi admires German goalie Manuel Neuer and loves Lionel Messi's game. "At some point, I want to work towards developing women's football India by starting my own academy. Till then, I would love to play for my country," she says.
Aditi Chauhan is not the first woman of Indian origin to have played for an English club. Delhi-born Tanvie Hans, a midfielder, had earlier represented the Tottenham Hotspur reserve team before joining the Fulham Foundation FC. Tanvie, who knows Aditi from when they played football together in Delhi, says she was very happy for her friend. "I was her senior in college and we're really good friends. We've played together in Delhi as well," says Tanvie. Tanvie and Aditi have many similarities - they are both from Delhi and have trained under Om Chibber. Both went to JMC, play for English football clubs and work for the same company. However, while Aditi can't play in the super league on a student visa, Tanvie can't play for India, as she has a British passport. Born in Punjab and brought up in Delhi, Tanvie grew up playing all kinds of outdoor sports with her older brother and his friends in the park behind their home in Defence Colony.
"My parents have given me a lot of support. I owe them a lot for where I have reached today," she says. "I was drawn towards football, and fortunately, I was studying at Vasant Valley, which was the first school in Delhi to form an all-girls football team. It pretty much started from there. Since there were no girls, I would play with the boys."
Representing her school in 2004, Tanvie's team participated for the first time in nationals and got defeated by the other state teams. "It was an eye-opener. It realised what playing at the national level is like. So, I kept trying harder."
Tanvie studied Economics and Entrepreneurship at JMC. "My college days were all about football. I don't remember going to class much, but I did all right in my exams anyway. The JMC team would play football in the morning, roam around town in my car, relax at my house, and then play some more football in the evening. We would eat lots of junk food from Satya Niketan. We were just so happy playing football that we didn't really care about anything else," she says.
After JMC, she went to Exeter University in England for her masters, where she was first exposed to English women's football. "I loved the standard here, so I decided to come back and try out for clubs here in London. Since I can't play for India, it made sense for me to come to the UK and build a career here," she says.
She had represented Delhi at the U-14, U-16 and U-19 levels, but she was upset when she realised that she couldn't play for India. "I didn't take it too badly at the time. It's only later that I started getting frustrated, because even if I became the best player I could be, I couldn't play for my country. So yes, it's disappointing and heartbreaking. People don't consider me Indian because I don't have an Indian passport," she says. Tanvie's mother was born in the UK, so both she and her brother have British passports. She recently joined Fulham in need of a change. "I thought it was time to try out for a new club, and I heard about Fulham. Being a new club, they have a low ranking. I thought this would be a great chance to be part of the growth of a club," she says.
Tanvie misses Delhi a lot. "I miss my family, my dog, the luxury of having food ready on the table, and having a car to drive around in. I miss the street food - bhel puri and gol gappas and the masti I used to have with my football buddies," she says.
The midfielder was also part of the Bend it Like Beckham musical. "I've always related to the story, it's one of my favourite films. In fact, this movie is what helped me open my mind and realise that I wanted to achieve something big. When I was in London, Gurinder Chadha (director of the movie) got in touch with me. She saw a similarity between my story and the lead role, so she thought it was fitting to have me as the poster girl. I also trained the lead actress and other actors in some basic football. I loved every bit of it. The posters are all over and it always makes me happy seeing them," she says.
Unlike Aditi, Tanvie watches many movies. "I have a very mainstream taste. Chak De! India, Wake up Sid, Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, and K3G are some of my favourites. I like Ranbir Kapoor, Shahid Kapoor, Kangana Ranaut and Deepika Padukone," she says.
Tanvie, who is currently single, said that her man must always support her football career. "I think my ideal relationship would strike a balance between being able to be silly and friendly on one hand, and being romantic," says Tanvie, who adores Messi and Carli Lloyd.
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