Like most American teenagers, 16-year-old Kanak Jha goes to high school, plays sports and is competitive with his sister.
But he’s also the first U.S. athlete born in 2000 to qualify for the Olympics, and in Rio de Janeiro this summer, he will be the youngest male player in the world ever to compete in table tennis at the Games.
“It’s so impressive to watch that kid go at it,” USA Table Tennis CEO Gordon Kaye said. “He just has this sort of unknown X factor. He has this will and he has this determination, and it’s really impressive to watch. Sometimes you scratch your head and say, ‘That kid’s only (16)?’”
The California native won the North American Olympic Qualification Tournament in Markham, Ontario, in April, and his performance not only guaranteed his trip to Rio but also helped qualify the USA for its first team competition. He will play in the men’s singles and in team events with Yijun Feng and 2012 Olympian Timothy Wang — whom he defeated in the qualification tournament’s final match.
A U.S. table tennis player has never advanced past the quarterfinals of an Olympic tournament.
Originally from suburban San Jose, Jha was a toddler when he started watching his older sister, U.S. national team member Prachi Jha, now 19, play table tennis at a local recreational center. Although his hands could barely reach above the table — he began playing at 5. He said he always felt natural with the paddle in his hand, instinctively hitting the ball.
By the time he was 12, Jha was playing in international tournaments and quickly realized he had the potential to compete among the best. After several national championships, he became the youngest World Cup participant in 2014.
However, as his game improved, he needed to find a more advanced environment. So in August, he moved to Sweden to train at Halmstad Bordtennisklubb, working with some of the world’s top coaches and players, along with Prachi.
“Our club has a very strong level of players, and the environment is much more competitive when you’re playing in a group where everyone is trying to win,” Jha said. “There are a lot more styles in Sweden, and you see a lot of these people and what their strengths are and how they play the game, and you can improve just from being there in that environment.”
Between his two-a-day practices, Jha is enrolled in an online curriculum at Milpitas High School in California. Although the last year has been challenging for him being away from his parents, he and his sister lean on each other for support and encouragement.
Intensely competitive on the table, Jha remains humble and laid back.
“One of the most astounding things about Kanak (is) if you watch him play, you can see how composed and calm he is under pressure,” said his father, Arun Jha. “People are very surprised that he can handle that pressure under such intense circumstances with a lot of poise. He’s just tremendously competitive without portraying a lot of emotion. He’s just focused.”
In Team USA’s last major event before Rio, Jha will compete in the U.S. national championships July 4-9 in Las Vegas.
Published in conjunction with 