Harshika Jain penned a one-year contract with Romanian top division side, ACS Atletic Olimpia Gherla – after a 20-day trial – becoming the first Indian to do so.
The date 24th is quite significant for Indian footballer Harshika Jain – she was born on December 24, and on the same date in July, she signed for a Romanian top division side, becoming the first player from the country to do so.
“Signing on the 24th was lucky for me as well, so it was a good occasion. Hopefully, my jersey number will also be that,” Harshika, who penned a one-year contract, told Sportstar.
The club – ACS Atletic Olimpia Gherla – finished fifth in the 2024-25 season at the end of the regular season of the SuperLiga Feminina.
It’s been about three weeks since Harshika has been with Olimpia Gherla, which included a 20-day trial. And already, she has started to notice stark differences between club football in Romania and India.
A change in approach: Harshika, who grew up in Mumbai, has already started noticing differences in the way football is looked at in Indian and Romania. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
“The fitness levels of the players here are very different from what it is back in India, and the intensity is also very different. It’s the first time I’ve had such a pre-season with a club,” the 22-year-old explained.
“The way the coach and players understand the game is very different. You need to be quick, and they understand that technical skills can be developed. But your fitness needs to be constant.”
A combined effort
Growing up in Mumbai, Harshika always had an inclination towards sports. And football turned out to be her pet sport. During her school days, she was discovered by coach-turned-friend Varin Mehta.
“Varin was a coach at my school. I was the only girl who used to play with the boys. He began a summer camp, which used to be at night. I attended that and he saw that I had the capacity, capability and the passion for football. He said, ‘If you stick with me, I will make you a professional player,'” Harshika said.
Stars behind the screen: Varin (left), who had previously played in Europe, is one of the key individuals to have groomed Harshika (right) before she made her switch to Europe. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
More than a decade ago, Varin played for the reserves of Belgian side Royal Antwerp for about two and a half years. He also had a short stint at a Denmark club before contract issues sent him back to India.
“A very close friend advised me to use the knowledge I gained from playing abroad and enter coaching,” Varin, who now holds an AFC A License, recalled.
It was through connections he made at the wedding of a close friend and former Aizawl player, Andrei Ionescu, that he was able to land this opportunity for Harshika.
“They sent her CV and videos to the club’s coach. He said he wouldn’t mind seeing her play live if she was willing to come. So we reached Romania on June 30,” Varin said.
Harshika reached Europe before the trials at Olimpia Gherla after Ionescu, along with his friends Eduard Plavicheanu and Elis Bakaj – a former Albanian international – were kind enough to prepare her for trials.
They also arranged for training sessions for her at the Steaua Stadium, home of Bucharest-based club CSA Steaua Bucuresti.
One dream realised, another to go
Before the chapter of European football, Harshika spent a couple of years with Indian Women’s League (IWL) side Gokulam Kerala, winning the IWL title in the 2022-23 season.
While Harshika did not play too many games for Gokulam in the IWL, it was at this Kozhikode club that her dream of playing with Sabitra ‘Samba’ Bhandari – Nepal national team captain and highest goalscorer – came true, as part of the squad.
Sharing stage a star: Harshika (left) poses with the Indian Women’s League trophy with Sabitra Bhandari. after Gokulam Kerala won the title in 2023. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
“I had seen her play live when I was with Kenkre FC. I was in awe, watching a girl score so many goals and being so amazing,” Harshika – who also looks up to the likes of Alex Morgan, Sam Kerr, and Ashalata Devi – said.
Like Sabitra, Harshika has followed suit from Kerala to Europe. But, unlike the Nepal star, one thing has eluded her so far: playing for the national team.
“The chances [of making the India squad] get higher once you go abroad because the value of a player goes up than it is back in India,” she said.
India qualified for the AFC Women’s Asian Cup for the first time on merit this year, beating higher-ranked Thailand. It will face Vietnam, Chinese Taipei, and Japan next March in Australia.
“Qualifying for the AFC (Asian Cup) is huge. I would love to be a part because my dream was always to play for the Indian team. One thing is already done, which is to play abroad,” she said.
Harshika’s time now will largely be taken up by a rigorous pre-season at Olimpia Gherla ahead of a campaign where a historic UEFA Women’s Champions League qualification remains a possibility.