India's women's TT team made history at Olympics

It advanced past the Round of 16 for the first time

Archana Kamath was the only Indian paddler to win a game in QF

India’s women’s table tennis team made history at the 2024 Paris Olympics by advancing past the Round of 16 for the first time in the nation’s history. The team eventually bowed out in the quarter-finals after a hard-fought battle against Germany, losing 1-3. Archana Kamath was the only Indian paddler to win a game in the quarter-final match, making her performance a standout in the competition.

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Despite this historic achievement, 24-year-old Kamath has decided to retire from professional table tennis and pursue studies abroad. After returning from Paris, Kamath had an open discussion with her coach, Anshul Garg, about the prospects of earning a medal at the 2028 Los Angeles Games. Garg, taken aback by her decision, provided an honest assessment of the challenges ahead.

“I told her that it’s difficult. It’s going to take a lot of hard work. 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,” Garg told The Indian Express.

Kamath’s decision marks the end of a promising career, leaving the Indian table tennis community reflecting on what could have been, even as it celebrates the historic strides made in Paris.