The life of an athlete can be quite monotonous. No one from the sporting circle can completely deny this fact which has the same routine that oscillates between practice-home or competition venue-hotel room during tournaments.
Irrespective of the place they are in, the routine seldom changes. It, therefore, shouldn’t have been difficult for Archana Kamath to shift base from Bengaluru to Noida as her life almost entirely revolves around table tennis. Being a quintessential Bengalurean, however, the 23-year-old paddler is still finding it tough to adjust to the life outside of her game’s regimen.
“I miss conversing in Kannada. And the weather, oh my god! Bangalore weather. I miss it so much,” says Archana, who moved to Noida last August to train under coach Anshul Garg at his academy. “There is nothing like my home city. I really miss it. The feeling and its vibe are different.”
Though accepting the change of city is still an ongoing process, Archana has no complaints about her life as a table tennis player there.
“My mother is with me and we have rented out a flat in a gated community about a kilometer away from the academy. I cycle to practice everyday. I knew Anshul sir for more than 10 years and a lot more sparring partners with different styles of play were the main reasons for this decision,” offers Archana.
This came right after the selection controversy she faced last year before the Birmingham Commonwealth Games that was followed by a court battle. The youngster admits she went through a rough patch of self-doubt.
“There is nothing much to say that hasn’t been said already. The support of all my close ones, parents, coaches and the sports psychologist, helped me to get out of the tough phase and kept me motivated. I’m grateful for that,” she says when asked about the period after getting dropped from the CWG squad at the last minute.
Notching up a few good wins both on the Indian domestic circuit and the international events she has taken part this year, Archana is now in Pune competing at the Ultimate Table Tennis league for the Puneri Paltan team.
And the 159th-ranked player in the world made her presence felt by defeating world no. 39 Suthasini Sawettabut of Thailand during her team’s first UTT win this season against Goa Challengers on Monday.
“Happy that UTT is back after a gap of four years. It is a very exciting atmosphere. The format with players from here and abroad gives it a nice mix. It serves as a huge learning experience for players like me as we get to walk around with top players from all around the world,” offers Archana who was also a part of the previous three editions.
She dives back to the hours of hard work at the academy and credits it for her feeling good all over again that has helped the youngster make slow but steady gains on the circuit. “(My) game has definitely improved and I’m happy with the entire training system in Noida. The switch has been definitely worth it.”
Change in base maybe a small price to pay in her quest for sporting excellence. But ask any Bengalurean and they would probably say it’s the ultimate sacrifice someone could make.