New Delhi: Achanta Sharath Kamal will be making his record fifth Olympics appearance when he plays at the Paris Olympics 2024. Fondly known as the ‘poster boy’ of Indian table tennis, the 42-year-old will put his last foot at the quadrennial showpiece event.
Born in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, on July 12, 1982, Sharath was introduced to the ‘ping pong’ sport at the age of four. He wasn’t required to look for external motivation as his father Srinivasa Rao and uncle Muralidhar Rao played TT in their own time but opted to coach young players.
Sharath won his first national championship in 2003 and then moved to Europe to enhance his game-style further with the nuances of the fast-paced game. At the age of 21, he moved to Europe with the vision of finding a new dimension to his career. Although he struggled with financial resources, meaning he had to pass nights at train stations and airports due to lack of support by governments and corporates back then.
However, the fire and desire to gain big kept pushing him against all odds. He won gold medal in men’s singles at the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne along with the men’s team gold. He bettered his tally at the 2022 edition of the event in Birmingham, bagging three golds and a silver to take his overall tally to 13, including seven gold medals.
Sharath Kamal’s legacy in national and history at continental tournament
The Tamil Nadu paddler created history with two medals at the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta. This was the first time India recorded a medal at the continental championship. Sharath won bronze medals in mixed doubles with Manika Batra and in the men’s team event.
Sharath holds the record of most national championship titles (10). In January 2019, Sharath bagged his ninth national crown after prevailing over G Sathiyan 4-3 in the intense battle. In the meantime, he shattered Kamlesh Mehta’s long-standing record of eight national titles.
Sharath will represent India at Paris in his fifth appearance after featuring in the editions of Athens (2004), Beijing (2008), Rio (2016) and Tokyo (2020; played in 2021). He will look for the elusive Olympics medal, the only major achievement missing in his cupboard. He was appointed as Indian contingent’s flagbearer along with two-time Olympics medalist PV Sindhu.
Born in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, on July 12, 1982, Sharath Kamal was introduced to the ‘ping pong’ sport at the age of four. He wasn’t required to look for external motivation as his father Srinivasa Rao and uncle Muralidhar Rao played TT in their own time but opted to coach young players. Sports Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
