CHENNAI: From winning India’s first gold medal at the Commonwealth Games to gearing up to feature in his fifth Asian Games in September, A Sharath Kamal has seen it all in table tennis. His longevity has led to many memorable moments. With the latest season of Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT), he is looking forward to adding one more feather to his illustrious cap.
“It’s quite fulfilling,” the Chennai Lions captain told this daily. “It is satisfying that my journey has helped other youngsters. That is also a reason why I have been able to continue playing for a long time. I always kept feeling like one of the ways I can contribute to Indian table tennis is to lead by example.”
In this season, he is mentoring the young players on and off the court. “For the youngsters, it’s a great platform for them to eat, sleep, and talk all things table tennis with seasoned players. That gives you insights on how to take one’s game ahead.”
Looking at the exposure and experience Indian players are getting in the UTT, the veteran thinks the youngsters are in the best possible position to make the most of it. “As a 22-year-old, I went into Europe in search of this very situation. I’m happy for the young players. They are getting this kind of opportunity in their own country. At the same time, they can have some amount of financial benefits from the experience that they are having,” Sharath said.
This season, the Sharath-led Chennai Lions can become the first team to defend their title. For that, they have to go through the closest rivals in Dabang Delhi. “We are in a much better situation than last season. Hats off to the team management for building a great team environment around. The players can perform well in this good environment,” he added. With the format where every game matters, Sharath believes this is an opportunity for the paddlers as they get to handle pressure.
“Every member of the team, when they win even one game, they are contributing to the team’s success. And that is what makes it very interesting. Even if your team is 0-2 down, you are still going to try and win the third set so that your team can get some points from that victory. Of course, there is a lot more pressure, and you need to deliver under pressure.”
One of the factors that make all of that hard work worthwhile is the number of spectators in the arena. After the COVID break, where most of the sporting activities were either banned or went ahead without any spectators, Sharath is extremely delighted to play in front of the fans once again. “It is better to play with the full house. In COVID-19 times, we were playing in some halls with completely no spectators,” he said. “Whether it’s home supporters or away supporters, it’s always good to have that energy, which helps us to bring out our best. They are pouring in a lot of numbers this season. I am pretty much sure this last week we will have even more numbers to come. With this kind of atmosphere, the best is always out of the players,” he added.