For seven-time national table tennis champion Poulomi Ghatak, retirement turned out to be just a change of position, to the other side of the table. But she isn’t complaining.
The paddler had, quite suddenly, quit the sport last August, catching the table tennis fraternity unawares. And she herself was taken quite by surprise when she was recently named the coach of the women’s national team.
And thus started Poulomi 2.0. “It’s a great honour to coach the national team and the announcement did take me by surprise,” Poulomi told The Telegraph. “We have a fantastic women’s team — Manika Batra, Archana Kamath, Madhurika Patkar and our local girl Sutirtha Mukherjee. Am quite looking forward to working with the girls.”
Manika and Sutirtha, feels Poulomi, should make the cut for Tokyo.
“Of course, the Asian qualifications will determine who represents the country. But prior to lockdown, that was what their forms indicated.
“Saying that, we have to keep in mind the fact that 2020 upset all calculations and many new issues have to be factored in.”
At 17 years of age, Poulomi had represented the country at the Sydney Olympics from where she had returned empty-handed. “An Olympic medal eluded me. My dream is to nurture my wards such that table tennis, in near future, can gift the country an Olympic medal. Through them will my unfulfilled dream be realised,” she said.
Going back to her decision to retire, the 38-year-old Calcutta girl said: “The decision to quit wasn’t sudden. I have been carrying some injuries for awhile and the thought of retirement had been on my mind. Since June 2019, I have been much involved with my new academy — the RCS Poulomi Soumyadeep Table Tennis Academy — which has been eating into a lot of my time.
“Yes, the thought of equalling Indu Puri’s record of eight national crowns was egging me on. I’d thought side-by-side with my coaching activities, if I felt my body felt fit, I will give it another shot. “But then I realised that once you step out, it is very difficult to step back in. More so, when you have other commitments. I hold a job with Bharat Petroleum. I have a child and responsibilities towards him… Suddenly last August during an interview, the decision, you can say, just popped out.”
Even after the birth of her son in 2015, Poulomi had continued to play, with immense support from her husband, former player and national table tennis coach Soumyadeep Roy, and her parents. In fact, she had clinched the runner-up crown at the nationals in Manesar in 2017 and was invited to join the national camp.
“But that would mean travelling ten months a year, which for me would have been impossible at that stage of my life. So I decided to not play internationally any more but yes, I did intend to carry on in the national circuit,” said Poulomi. “But then I realised that my priorities had changed. The enormous sacrifices I had made for the game suddenly seemed to matter no more.”
Right now, Poulomi’s plate is full. She has two academies to run with Soumyadeep (UTT JSS Poulomi Soumyadeep Table Tennis Academy being the other), a demanding job with Bharat Petroleum and now the role of women’s coach. She is ready for it all, and more.