Bengaluru: In a surprise call, paddler Archana Kamath called time on her playing career in order to pursue a Master's degree in the United States. The decision comes less than a month after the three-member Indian women’s table tennis team achieved its best-ever Olympic result by reaching the women’s team quarterfinal.
Archana, 24, had made steady improvement in the run-up to the Paris Games and managed to pip Ayhika Mukherjee to a berth in the women's team by virtue of a higher world rank.
She won national ranking tournaments in Vadodara and Panchkula and managed to defeat Germany’s higher-ranked Xiaona Shan in the Olympic quarterfinal, India’s sole win in their 1-3 defeat.
The Bengalurean reasoned that the move hinged on her love for academics and that she did not want to further postpone her studies.
"I took a decision to pursue my higher education after the Paris Olympics by enrolling in a full-time two-year Master’s programme in Public Policy. I somehow felt inside that now is the time, and that I did not want to postpone my academic pursuits any further.
"It was not an easy decision for me to make, but if I have retired from competitive table tennis, it is only and only because of my love for academics. TT is an amazing sport that I have had the privilege of playing for a long time, and my love for it continues," Archana said in a letter available with DH.
Archana was grateful for the financial assistance she received from various schemes, and thanked her coaches and support staff for their efforts throughout her career.
"I have also been the fortunate recipient of extraordinary support, including financially, from the Olympic Gold Quest which has believed in me and supported me ever since I was a 15-year-old, Sports Authority of India/Target Olympic Podium Scheme and Department of Youth Empowerment and Sports, Karnataka, and I will forever remain grateful to them.
"I have been blessed to have had an excellent support team – Anshul Garg sir (my TT coach), Jai Sanan sir (my strength and conditioning coach) and Shaantanu Kulkarni sir (my sports psychologist), and I will miss working with them in more ways than they can ever imagine.
"Finally, to all my fellow Bharatiyas - while I did give my best, I sincerely apologise for not being able to do as much as I wanted to for our country as an athlete. I do not know what the future holds for me, but I am sure of one thing – I will always try my best to serve our Bharat, in whatever little way I can," Archana signed off.
Girish Kamath, Archana's father, was appreciative of the fact that his daughter got an opportunity to represent the nation in the Olympics.
"She played probably her best domestic season in the senior level this year, with three titles and four finals, she is grateful that she got an opportunity to represent our country in the Olympics," Kamath told DH.
Archana's brother Abhinav, who works at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), has served as the primary inspiration for pursuing her academic aspirations.
Kamath outlined that the decision was solely Archana's, and that he feels that it is the right move.
"We did not have any ambitions or goals for our children from our side. Right from a young age, we have been telling her that we will support you to the best of our ability in whatever you do, as long as you are happy to do it. We never forced her to quit academics or the sport, it is completely her decision. We felt that it was a good decision too and did not intervene," Kamath said.
Archana clinched her maiden national title in 2018 and finished fourth in the 2018 Youth Olympics in Buenos Aires.
Pairing up with Manika Batra, she won the women’s doubles crown at the Lasko WTT Contender in 2021 and also won the women's doubles event at the Lagos WTT Contender earlier this year with Sreeja Akula.
In 2022, Archana and Manika's ranking rose to a career-high world No. 4 in the women's doubles.
Kamath looked back at Archana's 15-year playing career as a huge learning experience filled with ups and downs, and hoped the journey would benefit his daughter.
"It has been a huge learning experience for us. There was nobody from a sporting background in our family, it has taught us a lot too. The ups and downs of sporting careers and what children go through, it is a different experience altogether.
"There have been joyous moments, at the same time there have been days when she has been in despair. There have been a lot of ups and downs, just how life should be I guess. Hopefully this experience will stand her in good stead," Kamath detailed.
When asked about a potential return to the sport for Archana, Kamath said: I don't know what plans the future has for her. We believe in destiny, whatever has to happen will happen and only the best things will happen."
Safe to say that table tennis' loss will be academia’s gain.