At the 2024 Paris Olympics, India's women's table tennis team achieved a historic milestone by advancing beyond the Round of 16 for the first time ever. However, their journey ended in the quarterfinals when they were defeated 1-3 by Germany.
Archana Kamath was the only player to secure a win in the match. Despite this notable achievement, Kamath, who is 24, was dissatisfied with the outcome and concerned about future medal prospects.
With no assurances of a medal at the 2028 Los Angeles Games, she decided to retire from professional table tennis and pursue studies abroad.
After returning from Paris, Kamath had a candid discussion with her coach, Anshul Garg, about her future in the sport. Garg was taken aback by Kamath's decision but provided an honest response to her concerns.
"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 said.
Archana Kamath's selection for the Paris Olympics sparked considerable debate, especially since she was chosen over Ayhika Mukherjee, who had previously defeated World No. 1 Sun Yingsha.
Despite the controversy, Archana concentrated on her game and played a key role in securing India's sole win against Germany in their 1-3 quarterfinal defeat. Although she has support from TOPs, Olympic Gold Quest (OGQ), and other sponsors, she remains driven by the goal of winning an Olympic medal.
However, with this goal now seemingly uncertain, Archana is considering studying abroad as a more promising career path.
"My brother works at NASA. He's my idol, and he too encourages me to study. So I make the time to complete all my studies, and I enjoy it. I'm good at it too," Archana said.
Archana's father has praised her as an exceptional student and noted that she has no regrets about the career decisions she has made.
"Archana has always been academically oriented, and all along her TT career, she has pursued her studies with a Graduation in Economics and has recently completed the requirements for a Master's degree in International Relations, Strategies, and Securities,” Archana’s father said.
“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," he said.
The financial stability of sports such as table tennis raises concerns, particularly in light of Archana's significant decision following the Paris Games. Nonetheless, Kamlesh Mehta, an eight-time national champion and current secretary of the Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI), believes that progress is occurring rapidly.
"Table tennis is getting a lot of corporate backing. The Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT) has all corporate owners. Players are being supported by professional sports agencies too. There's a lot happening, and the government with TTFI is doing whatever we can to support players and create a system that makes players want to stay in the sport,” said Kamlesh.
“The number of professional academies that have come up in the country is a testament to that. Our results on the international stage—even in youth tournaments—show that we are doing something right," he added.
Despite support for equipment and training, Archana's coach Garg believes table tennis still lacks financial stability for players. Therefore, Archana's decision to pursue other opportunities was understandable to him.
"The top players generally don't have any problem because they get a lot of support. But what about the upcoming players? Yes, they get support in terms of training and equipment. No expense is spared there, but what about a livelihood? That gets difficult, so Archana's decision is understandable," coach Garg said.
