Indian American Kanak Jha Making History At Paris Olympics

Photo: Reuters/Luisa Gonzalez

India-West News Desk

LOS ANGELES, CA — Kanak Jha, the 24-year-old Indian American table tennis player, is making history at the Paris Olympics. Jha, who previously represented the United States in table tennis at both the Rio and Tokyo Games, has now become the first male athlete from the US to reach the round of 16 in Olympic table tennis since Jimmy Butler in 1992. He is also the only player for the US.

Jha’s journey at the Paris Olympics began with a significant upset, defeating Korea’s Cho Daeseong, who is ranked No. 20 in the world, with a score of 4-2. This victory was particularly noteworthy as Jha is ranked 125th globally.

On July 31, Jha continued his impressive run by defeating Greece’s Panagiotis Gionis, also with a 4-2 score, advancing to the round of 16.

Jha’s path to Paris has been fraught with challenges. He faced a year-long ban by the US Anti-Doping Agency for accumulating three whereabouts failures within 12 months. This ban sidelined him from the sport until March of this year.

Additionally, Jha turned to a GoFundMe campaign to financially support his journey to the Paris Games, raising over $12,000 out of his $100,000 goal. “I was out of the sport for 16 months, which was tough in a few ways. I’m a professional table tennis player, so financially being one of them,” Jha said in a press conference. He credited the GoFundMe contributions for helping him prepare for the Paris Games, emphasizing his desire to represent his supporters and make history by winning a medal.

Jha, a native of Milpitas, California, moved to Sweden at 15 and then to Germany at 17, all to pursue a professional career in the sport that he loves trains primarily in Germany where professional table tennis leagues are more established.

He hopes his performance in Paris will raise awareness of the sport in the US “The sport isn’t that mainstream in the States,” he said. “I hope in the Olympic Games, and also other events, I can continue to influence some kids. Hopefully, some kids who watch the games here are inspired by it to pick up a racket.”

Jha’s rise to prominence began when he became the youngest member of the 2016 U.S. Olympic Team at the age of 16, making him the first-ever American Olympian born in the 21st century. Despite the challenges posed by the pandemic and his suspension, Jha’s determination and resilience have kept him climbing the world rankings.

Now, as Jha continues his push for an Olympic medal, he reflects on his journey with pride and optimism. TeamUSA.com quoted him as saying, “It was very stressful and very difficult after such a long break. But I’m very proud of the way I came back. The goal was to qualify for the Paris Games — and I managed to do it. That’s all that matters,” Jha said.

Of course, an Olympic medal would be the cherry on top of a journey filled with physical, mental and emotional obstacles.

“That’s the biggest dream. That’s the ultimate goal. I believe I’m stronger than I have been in the past Games. I’m on my way up right now. Each day I’m getting better since my comeback. It’s going to be a tough task, but everything is open. I believe I can make my dream a reality.” (with input from Reuters).