Who is Jyoti Chouhan, East Bengal’s new signing who became the first Indian to score a hat-trick in Europe

East Bengal on Wednesday announced the signing of Indian international Jyoti Chouhan ahead of the group stages of the AFC Women’s Champions League and the Indian Women’s League (IWL).

The first Indian to score a hat-trick for a European club – a feat she achieved for Dinamo Zagreb against ZNK Agram in 2023 – she will join the defending IWL champions until the end of the 2025-2026 season and will wear jersey number 99.

Who is Jyoti Chouhan?

Jyoti, who hails from the city of Sardarpur in Madhya Pradesh, battled acute poverty to pursue her dream of becoming a professional footballer. After representing her state in several editions of the National Championship, Jyoti joined Kenkre FC and showed her goalscoring prowess in the Mumbai Women’s League.

Later, she joined Gokulam Kerala FC and helped the country win the IWL in the 2021-2022 season. Jyoti was also named the best player in the Kerala Women’s League.

The following season, Jyoti was selected by top Croatian side Dinamo Zagreb after doing well in the trials. After spending two seasons with Dinamo Zagreb, Jyoti played a crucial role in the club’s win of the Croatian Women’s Football Cup in 2023/24 and a runners-up finish in 2022/23.

The forward has represented the Indian National Women’s Team seven times so far and scored her first goal for the Blue Tigresses in their 5-2 win over Pakistan at the 2024 SAFF Women’s Championship.

«Joining East Bengal is a dream come true for me. We have a long calendar ahead of us and I am eager to contribute to this legendary club in the group stages of the AFC Women’s Champions League and our title defense in the Indian Women’s League. Coach Anthony has played a huge role in my evolution as a footballer and I am very happy to reunite with him and some of my other teammates. The support from the fans here is second to none, and I look forward to making them proud,» said Jyoti.

«Having known Jyoti for so many years, it is a great feeling to reunite with her. She started with me as a young, talented girl, and over time we have built a strong foundation of trust and understanding. I have watched her evolve into a mature and composed woman – both as a player and as a person. Her experience in Croatia has added great value to her game and she fits seamlessly into our system and game plan. We look forward to her continued contribution to our team,» said Anthony Andrews, head coach of East Bengal. said.

Published on November 5, 2025