'I don't know exactly what I would be doing a few years down the line, but I hope I can contribute to Bharat in some way.'
Archana Kamath, who retired from table tennis after representing India at the Paris Olympics, revealed that her passion for studying was the primary reason for her decision.
Archana was a key member of the Indian women's table tennis team that made history by reaching the quarterfinals of the team event at the Paris Games. She was India's lone victor in the loss against Germany, defeating the higher ranked Xiaona Shan.
Archana, 24, surprised the TT world by retiring from the sport at a time when she was performing well and rapidly improving.
'Table tennis and academics have always been equally important to me, and they've enriched each other. After the Paris Olympics, I decided to focus on pursuing a full-time two-year master's programme in public policy.'
'While it was a difficult decision to retire from competitive table tennis, my love for academics ultimately led me to this path.'
'TT is a wonderful sport that I've had the privilege of playing for many years, and my passion for it continues. I've never played TT for financial gain. I've received overwhelming support throughout my career, emotionally, financially, and in every way imaginable.'
"My advice to the younger players would just be to try their best to enjoy playing, because once that is there, everything else will follow," Archana Kamath tells Laxmi Negi/Rediff.com as she gets ready to travel to the US for her master's.
What are your academic aspirations in the US, and how do you envision your career path post-graduation?
I'm currently pursuing a master's in public policy in the US but I am very open at the moment. I want to wait and see what I learn here because this is a change for me as well.
I don't know exactly what I would be doing a few years down the line, but I hope I can contribute to Bharat in some way.
How did you balance your academic pursuits with your rigorous training schedule as a professional table tennis player?
I have received excellent support from my teachers and educational institutions, from the Poorna Prajna Education Centre, Jain University and more recently, with my online master's in international relations, security and strategy from the O P Jindal Global University.
The support from Indian Oil also helped a lot, in the sense that I could study freely, just for the love of it...most of all, my parents and brother have encouraged me throughout, with my mother sitting with me and studying even!!
It was a combined study of sorts. My coaches and sport psychologist (Mr Shaantanu Kulkarni) especially, have always seen me as a person and not just an athlete, and have been appreciative of my interest in academics.
What was the most memorable experience from your Olympic journey in Paris?
It was undoubtedly the experience of playing in the team event. I've always enjoyed being with Manika (Batra) didi, Sreeja (Akula) and Ayhika (Mukherjee) didi, and to get a chance to fight it out alongside them was a very memorable experience.
How did your family and friends react to your decision to quit table tennis?
I have been blessed to have family and friends who love me for who I am. My parents and brother have always told me that they are with me no matter what I choose to do, and they've made it clearer with their support for me now.
What do you think are the biggest challenges facing Indian table tennis, and what advice would you give to younger players?
I have received a lot of support from IOCL, OGQ, TOPS and DYES Karnataka. I have had a wonderful team in Anshul Garg sir (TT coach), Jai Sanan sir (strength and conditioning coach) and Shaantanu Kulkarni sir (sports psychologist), not to mention my incredible family.
Personally, the challenges I have faced have mostly been the inner battles that all sportspersons go through.
My advice to the younger players would just be to try their best to enjoy playing, because once that is there, everything else will follow.
What are some of the biggest lessons you've learned from your time as a professional athlete?
I have been fortunate to have lived the life of an athlete, it has taught me so much...it has shown me multiple times that the only thing that I can ever do is to try my best in terms of efforts and then to trust the Devatas to do whatever is best for me.
I really hope I can incorporate and follow this in my life as much as possible.
