Kanak Jha's Grueling Path to Redemption at Paris Olympics

Kanak Jha, a seasoned Olympic table tennis player, faces his toughest journey yet to the Paris Games. A one-year ban from USADA and financial challenges marked his path. With support from a GoFundMe campaign, Jha aims to win a medal and inspire U.S. youth to take up the sport.

Kanak Jha is no stranger to the Olympics, having represented the United States in table tennis at both the Rio and Tokyo Games. However, the path to Paris has been his most challenging yet.

The 24-year-old, the only male table tennis player representing the U.S. in Paris, faced a one-year ban by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) and resorted to a GoFundMe campaign to support his journey. Jha did not compete until March after USADA banned him last year for accumulating three whereabouts failures within a 12-month period. With the ban now behind him, he is keen to focus on winning a medal and promoting table tennis in the U.S.

"I was out of the sport for 16 months, which was tough in several ways, including financially," said Jha, who contributed to the U.S. winning team gold at the 2019 Pan Am Games, during a press conference on Tuesday. His GoFundMe campaign has raised over $12,000, although short of his $100,000 goal, it has been crucial in helping him get to Paris.

"Every penny from the GoFundMe was used to prepare as best as I could for the Paris Games," Jha added. "I hope to represent all those who supported me to the best of my ability here in Paris and make history by winning a medal for us." Jha primarily trains in Germany, where professional table tennis leagues are more established than they are in the U.S. He hopes his performance in Paris will raise awareness of the sport stateside. "The sport isn't mainstream in the States," he said.

"In the Olympic Games and other events, I aim to inspire kids to pick up a racket and pursue the sport."

(With inputs from agencies.)