Table Tennis: Archana Kamath from coastal Karnataka competing in Paris Olympics

Team Udayavani, Aug 2, 2024, 10:38 AM IST

Archana Kamath (R) with Tennis star Rafael Nadal (L)

Archana Kamath, daughter of doctors with roots in Mangaluru, is representing the Indian women’s table tennis team at the ongoing Olympics in Paris. Her achievements have marked her as a rising star in Indian table tennis.

Archana Kamath, daughter of renowned Bengaluru doctors Dr. Girish Kamath and Dr. Anuradha Kamath, began her table tennis journey at the age of 9 in Konchadi, Padavinangady, Mangaluru. Initially playing with Prakash Kamath during holidays, she quickly became actively involved in the sport.

With tremendous support from her family and encouragement from teachers and principals during her school and college years, Archana has won several medals at both national and international levels.

Path of Achievements

In 2014, Archana’s team won a silver medal representing Asia at the ITTF World Cadet Challenge in Barbados. In 2016, she achieved remarkable success by winning gold medals in singles, doubles, and team events at the ITTF Junior Circuit in Morocco.

Over her career, Archana has won a total of 129 medals, including 22 international and 14 national championships. In 2015, she received a medal from President Pranab Mukherjee.

Academic Excellence

Alongside her sports career, Archana has excelled academically. In 2016, she was recognized as the Best Outgoing Student and Best All-Rounder at the high school level. She ranked 9th in the state with 98.72% marks in her SSLC exams. She scored 97% in her PUC exams and completed her B.A. Honors in Economics.

Currently, Archana is pursuing her M.A. studies in International Relations, Security, and Strategy.

Doubles Competition from August 5

Archana Kamath will compete in the doubles event of the table tennis competition with teammates Manika Batra and Sreeja Akula. The women’s doubles round of 16 matches will begin on August 5. With stellar performances, she aims to bring glory to the nation.