A young athlete from Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar balanced competitive Soft Tennis with Chartered Accountancy, clearing all levels of CA in his first attempt while continuing to win medals at state and national competitions.
Om Kakad, 22, grew up in a farming family in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Maharashtra, where education and sport were both encouraged. He discovered Soft Tennis in Class 9 and won his first national gold medal in the same year.
Alongside his sporting journey, Om remained focused on academics. He scored 95.20 per cent in Class 10 and 88 per cent in Class 12 while studying Science. He later chose Chartered Accountancy, moving from a Science background towards a professional course that he believed could provide long-term stability.
A Young Athlete With Two Ambitions
Om’s father, Ravindra Ramdas Kakad, recalls that his son always enjoyed sports. While the family wanted him to receive a good education and become financially independent, they did not want him to feel that he had to choose between the two.
That support became important as Om’s sporting and academic commitments grew. His first national Soft Tennis gold medal, won in Class 9, gave him confidence that he could achieve something significant in sport. His performance in school continued to remain strong, allowing him to pursue both areas with equal commitment.
After Class 12, Om chose Chartered Accountancy despite coming from a Science background. He says the course appealed to him because it was respected and offered nationwide recognition, while success depended on his own effort.
For nearly five years, Om’s routine revolved around Soft Tennis training, studies and later his CA articleship. His mornings began before sunrise, with training starting around 6 am. On some days, he says he studied for 14 to 15 hours. During articleship, his routine included morning training, office work during the day and classes at night.
Managing both pursuits required constant time management and discipline. Om says competitive sport taught him how to handle pressure, while CA taught him patience and consistency.
Three Gold Medals At Maharashtra’s Mini Olympics
While continuing his CA journey, Om also recorded significant sporting achievements. In 2023, he competed in the Maharashtra State Olympic Games, popularly known as the Mini Olympics. Competing in the senior category, he won three gold medals.
Om describes the performance as a comeback and considers it one of the defining moments of his sporting career.
The following year, he secured two bronze medals at the 21st Senior National Soft Tennis Championship in Punjab, further strengthening his national-level record.
He was also recognised with the Samajratna Award for excellence in education and sports and received appreciation from Japanese coaches associated with Soft Tennis.
The Day Om Became A CA
After years of balancing training, studies and articleship, Om finally saw the result that confirmed his professional achievement. He recalls repeatedly refreshing the CA results website before it loaded and displayed the word “Successful”.
He then told his family that he had become a Chartered Accountant. The news brought calls, messages and celebrations, marking the culmination of years of preparation and sacrifice.
His family had supported not only his ambitions but also the practical demands of pursuing them, including long commutes, tournament expenses and the adjustments needed to maintain his routine.
His mother, Anita Ravindra Kakad, played an important role in helping manage the demanding schedule. For his father, seeing Om become both a Chartered Accountant and a national-level athlete was an achievement he had not initially imagined. Once the family realised Om could pursue both, they stood behind him completely.
A Journey Still In Progress
At 22, becoming a Chartered Accountant could have marked the end of a long chapter. For Om, it is another milestone. His next goal is to represent India on the international Soft Tennis stage.
His journey challenges the idea that young people must choose between professional stability and personal passion. He continued carrying both textbooks and a tennis racquet, using the discipline of one pursuit to strengthen the other. Om says, “Education is part of life, but your passion is the art of life.”
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
Om Kakad’s story is about more than a professional qualification or a medal tally. It is about pursuing two demanding ambitions without treating one as a substitute for the other.
His journey was shaped by years of early-morning training, long study sessions and the support of a family that encouraged him to continue both education and sport.
Competitive sport taught Om how to deal with pressure, while his CA preparation strengthened his patience and consistency. Together, the two experiences helped him navigate demanding situations in both arenas.
For young people who feel compelled to choose between a practical career and a passion, his journey offers another possibility: pursuing both through discipline, consistency and sustained support.
As Om looks towards representing India internationally in Soft Tennis, his story continues to unfold one match, one challenge and one ambition at a time.
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