Exclusive: ‘There’s no plan for her to play’ said coach Anshul Garg on Archana Kamath’s future

Table Tennis player Archana Kamath shocked everyone after announcing that she would be quitting table tennis to pursue her further studies. The talented peddler from India was part of the recent Paris Olympics. After the tournament, the 24-year-old decided to leave table tennis and go to the USA to study at the University of Michigan.

She made this decision after careful consideration. Archana has always had a passion for academics, inspired by her brother Abhinav, who works at NASA. She has always valued her coaches and support staff, discussing the decision with her coach, Anshul Garg.

InsideSport recently spoke with Anshul Garg to understand more about Archana Kamath’s decision.

Why did Archana quit table tennis?

When asked about the possible reasons for Archana Kamath’s decision to quit table tennis, her coach said, “She has a lot of potential, but at the same time, she’s also very good in her studies and has been passionate about them since childhood. I think that’s why she made this decision. She’s very focused on her studies these days. I think that’s what influenced her decision.”

Archana seemed to have already made up her mind. “I think she had already made up her mind because she’s a very straightforward person. She was clear that she wanted to continue with her studies. I respect her decision because you can’t push someone to play if their heart isn’t in it. So, if she wants to focus on her studies, then that’s okay,” he added.

Timing of the decision

Archana wanted to compete in the Paris Olympics; perhaps that was the time when she decided to quit the sport. “She informed me after the Olympics. Somewhere, she felt she could do better in academics. It’s hard to fully understand her reasoning, but she asked me, and we discussed it. She said she wanted to take a break or leave table tennis for the next two years to focus more on her studies. So, I said okay,” Anshul said.

Archana is not expected to make a comeback to the sport. “I don’t think there’s any plan for her to play. She is focused on her studies. If the university requires her to play, maybe she will, but as of now, there’s no plan,” Anshul added.