Two-time Olympian Soumyajit Ghosh's table tennis future was looking bleak when he was accused of rape by an 18-year-old girl from West Bengal right ahead of Commonwealth Games 2018.
Ghosh, 25, was training in Germany when he came to know about the police complaint that was filed against him.
The West Bengal paddler, who had reached a career-high ranking of 58 earlier this year, was dropped from the Indian Commonwealth Games team that went on to win quite a lot of medals, including the gold in Men's team event. He also missed an opportunity to participate in world championships, which was held between April 29 and May 6.
The talented paddler was reportedly booked under the IPC sections rape, criminal conspiracy, causing miscarriage without the woman's consent and cheating. The girl had claimed in her complaint that Ghosh went back on his marriage promise and forced her to abort after she got pregnant.
Ghosh had denied all the allegations and even claimed that the girl was blackmailing him for over a year. Fearing arrest, he even reportedly stayed back in Germany and moved to other European countries before finally reaching India in May.
We will do our best to overcome the misunderstandings: Ghosh's wife
Nearly four months later, Ghosh has married the girl who had accused him of rape. Even as the matter is in court, the couple has decided to put behind the differences and head towards a fresh start in their relationship, which took shape with a social media interaction in 2014.
Ghosh faces an uphill task when it comes to reviving his once-promising career, but it seems he will be relieved of the legal troubles soon. His newly-wed wife has insisted that she will make sure that her "husband's future" is not jeopardized.
"I have no idea about the legal formalities but I will speak to the lawyer and ensure that my husband's future is not jeopardised. It's a fresh beginning for both of us and we will do our best to overcome the misunderstandings and live happily," Ghosh's wife, Tulika Dutta was quoted as saying by the Press Trust of India.
Ghosh targets third Olympic appearance but says comeback will be tough
Ghosh, who has slipped to 109 on ITTF men's singles rankings, conceded that he has gained around 10kg and that a comeback would be tough.
The paddler also said the Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI) and his teammates were supportive during the trying times.
"I was devastated. I was at the peak of my career, playing for a good club in Germany and then something like this happens," Ghosh said.
"Everyone thought about the girl. That she was young. I was young too. If she was a minor, I was 22 when we started dating. I am still young. Having said that, there is no point looking back. I rather look ahead. Hope my court case is over soon and I get back to training
"The target has to be a third Olympics. But right now, it is all about getting done with the legal issues. I have gained a lot of weight also. The comeback will be tough but I have to find a way to overcome this."
