Archana Kamath : Quits Table Tennis for Academic Career At 24

 Archana Kamath, a prominent member of India's table tennis team at the 2024 Paris Olympics, has decided to leave the sport due to concerns about long-term financial security. The 24-year-old plans to move to the United States for further studies. The news came to light after she informed her coach, Anshul Garg, of her decision.

During the 2024 Olympics, Kamath was in excellent form, playing a key role in helping the Indian women's team reach the quarterfinals for the first time in history. In their match against Germany, she was the only Indian player to win a game, defeating the higher-ranked Xiaona Shan. Despite her efforts, the team ultimately lost the match. Kamath revealed her decision to step away from table tennis when she asked her coach about the chances of winning a medal at the Los Angeles Olympics.

 I told her that it’s difficult. It’s going to take a lot of hard work. She’s ranked outside the top 100 in the world but she improved so much in the past couple of months. But I think she had already made up her mind to go. And once she makes up her mind, it’s difficult to change it," Garg was quoted as saying to The Indian Express.

Her father also said that Archana is a brilliant student and that the paddler has no regrets about the choices she has made for her career.

 

"Archana has always been academically oriented and all along her TT career has pursued her studies with graduation in Economics and has recently completed the requirements for a Master's degree in International Relations, Strategies, and Securities. Having played table tennis with so much dedication and passion for more than 15 years which culminated in her representing our country at the Olympics, she felt it was time for her to pursue her other passion- full-time studies. She has taken this difficult step with absolutely no regrets and after having given her best for the sport and the country," Archana's father Girish said.