look news india
New Delhi, August 22 (HS). Indian table tennis player Archana Kamath, who was part of the Indian women's table tennis team that reached the quarter-finals at the Paris Olympics, has retired from competitive sports to focus on higher studies.
In a statement released to the media on Thursday, the 24-year-old from Bengaluru, ranked 122nd in the world, said she is stepping away from the sport solely because of her love for education.
He said, “It was not an easy decision for me to take but if I have retired from competitive table tennis, it is only and only because of my love for academics. Table tennis is a wonderful sport which I have been fortunate enough to play for a long time and my love for it continues. I have never thought of or played TT with financial returns in mind.”
Archana, whose parents are doctors specialising in ophthalmology, said both TT and academics have played a huge role in her life and both have made her the person she is.
“I decided to pursue my higher education after the Paris Olympics by enrolling in a full-time two-year Master’s program in Public Policy. I somehow felt deep inside that the time had come, and I did not want to postpone my academic pursuits any further,” she said.
The former national champion thanked Indian Oil Corporation, Olympic Gold Quest, SAI/TOPS, Department of Youth Empowerment and Sports (DYES, Karnataka) and all her coaches in her journey for helping her play the sport competitively.