Former Gokulam Kerala forward Harshika Jain signs for Romanian top division side Olympia Gherla

Harshika was one of the top scorers in Kerala Women’s League 2023-24

The 22-year-old Harshika Jain has recently made headlines after signing for Romanian top division club CS Atletic Olimpia Gherla.

The club competes in Liga 1 Feminin, which is Romania’s elite women’s league. The league is part of UEFA’s official women’s structure and opens doors to top European club competitions like the UEFA Women’s Champions League.

In this article, we shall try to dive deep into Harshika Jain’s journey, her stint in India with Gokulam Kerala, Kenkre FC, and her ascent to one of the topmost clubs in Europe. We find out the impact of this transfer and why this is such a milestone moment for women’s football in India.

Harshika Jain’s journey in India so far

The 22-year-old Indian prodigy from Maharashtra began her playing career with St. Joseph College Devagiri in Kozhikode. She represented her college in the Kerala Women’s League in the 2023-24 season, where she scored a hat-trick and earned a lot of praise for her performance.

Despite Devagiri College finishing at the bottom of the table, Harshika emerged as a silver lining. She was the third-highest goalscorer in the league and also scored a hat-trick against SBFA Poovar when Devagiri thrashed their opponents 5-1.

After her impressive spell at Devagiri, she was offered a contract by Gokulam Kerala FC Women. She was named in the 27-member squad for IWL 2023 alongside national-level teammates like Dangmei Grace, Sabitra Bhandari, and Sandhiya Ranganathan.

During the 2024-25 IWL season, Gokulam finished as the runners-up after falling short to East Bengal in the final matchweek. Under coach Ranjan Chowdhury, Harshika featured regularly for the Kerala outfit. She is widely known for her pace, acceleration, and positional versatility.

Why is this a big milestone for Indian women’s football?

Previously, many Indian women footballers have plied their trade in top European clubs. Bala Devi was the first Indian woman to sign a professional contract in Europe during her stint with Rangers WFC. Since then, many other Indian women footballers have followed in her footsteps.

Legendary Indian shotstopper Aditi Chauhan was part of West Ham United WFC. Manisha Kalyan has played for Greek A division club PAOK, Grace featured for Uzbek stalwart FC Nasaf, and the list goes on. Harshika’s arrival in Gherla makes her one of the first Indian women to sign for a Romanian top division club.

From expanding India’s footprint in European football to paving the way for India’s next generation, Harshika Jain’s move from Gokulam Kerala to Olimpia Gherla is nothing less than an inspirational and proud moment for Indian women’s football.

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