New Delhi: Indian Table Tennis has seen unprecedented rise in the recent times as the Indian team made history at the Paris Olympics 2024. The female table tennis team went ahead of the Round of 16. It was the first time that the female team had made it past this round for the first time.
India eventually lost the dual against Germany in the Quarterfinals (1-3). Eventhough the Indian team was outclassed in the Quarterfinals, the young Indian paddler Archana Kamath was able to win her match. But, this was not enough to quench the insatiable thirst of the young paddler. She wanted more from her compatriots as well as from herself.
However, India’s slow progress in the game is an open secret. Naturally, with no guarantee of a medal in the upcoming LA 2028, Archana has decided to quit her Olympic medal pursuit in the game and focus on her American dream.
“He’s my idol…”- Who is Archana’s idol?
One of the main trigger points behind Archana Kamath’s decision to go to America has been his brother. In a recent interview, Archana said “My brother works at NASA. He’s my idol and he too encourages me to study…”
Furthermore, Archana has been described as a brilliant student by her own father. In such a situation the American dream appears to be much more lucrative for the young paddler rather than any other sporting pursuits.
Archana has been one of the main paddlers who was backed heavily by the TOPs scheme and the Olympic Gold Quest (OGQ) quest. She had been heavily favoured over the much more deserving Ayhika Mukherjee to represent India in the Paris Olympics. Archana however, has clearly not valued these backdoor favours which had helped her reach Paris. She is rather getting herself busy packing her bags for the American Odyssey!
