Olympian Archana Kamath Quits Table Tennis Over Lack Of Financial Stability In Long-Term Future

Archana Kamath was a part of Indian women’s table tennis team at Paris Olympics 2024. She will now pursue higher studies in the United States.

New Delhi: Archana Kamath, who was a part of India’s Table Tennis team at the Paris Olympics 2024, quit the sport over lack of financial stability in the long-term future. Instead the 24-year-old planned to shift to the United States for further studies. The news of Kamath came in after she informed her coach Anshul Garg about her decision. The Indian paddler was in top form at the Paris Olympics 2024. Kamath was a part of the Indian women’s team that scripted history by reaching the quarterfinals for the first time in history.

She was the only woman standing in India’s quarterfinal loss to Germany – winning the only game against much higher-ranked Xiaona Shan. Garg came to know about Kamath’s decision to give up on table tennis when she asked if there is a possibility of winning a medal at Los Angeles Olympics. “I told her that it’s difficult. It’s going to take a lot of hard work,” Garg was quoted as saying to The Indian Express.

“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,” added Garg. One of the promising talents in Indian table tennis, Kamath had the backing of TOPs, Olympic Gold Quest (OGQ), and other sponsors. She is brilliant with her studies too.

“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,” Kamath had said earlier this year. Kamath has her father’s backing too. “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 Masters degree in International Relations, Strategies and Securities,” her father Girish told Indian Express.

“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’s 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 added.