CHENNAI: Sharath Kamal, 42, on Wednesday announced that the WTT Contender Chennai which will be played from March 25 to 30 this month will be his last tournament as a professional table tennis player.
Arguably one of India's finest athletes, the Chennai-based star has been an inspiration for a generation of players.The five-time Olympian has been a great ambassador of the game and at the age of 42 is still among the highest ranked players of the country in World rankings.
As per the latest World Table Tennis (WTT) ranking list, Sharath is a good 18 places above Manav Thakkar (60) who is the second highest ranked Indian player, Sharath chose the WTT Star Contender launch event in the city to announce his retirement.
Sharath as usual was calm and composed while making the statement to quit the game that has been dear to him and part of his life for more than two decades. "I played my first international tournament in Chennai, I will be playing my last international also in Chennai. This (WTT Contender) will be my last tournament as a professional athlete," said the table tennis legend.
Sharath learned the ropes of the game from his father A Srinivasa Rao and his uncle Muralidhara Rao and went on to conquer one peak after another in his illustrious career. Sharath has won six gold medals in the Commonwealth Games (13 medals overall in 5 editions) and medals at the Asian Games too. He took part in his fifth and final Olympics in Paris last year.
''I have Commonwealth Games medals and Asian Games medals. The Olympic medal is something I don't have in my cupboard.I hope I can live that dream through the younger talent coming," said the 42-year-old.
The 10-time National singles table tennis champion chose Chennai to hang his boots as the city is dear to him. Sharath's journey has been a fruitful one with several highs in a career spanning more than two decades. ''It's tough to define one fine moment in my career. That's also because it's been a very long career. So, 2006, when I won the Commonwealth Games, gold medal for the first time. An Indian winning in table tennis, gold medal, that was a very special moment at that point in time. But then, 2022, coming back after 16 years, winning three gold medals and one silver, was even better than that,'' said Sharath, when asked o describe the finest moments in his career.
''It's very tough to say which one is the best. But, personally for me, I had two really good outings. One was at the Olympic Games when I played Ma Long, the Olympic champion. That was one of the finest matches that I got to play. For me, the biggest thing that changed the face of Indian table tennis, I would say, is the Asian Games medals in 2018. For the first time in 60 years, Indian table tennis got a medal at the Asian Games. Especially beating the world champions, Japan, in the quarterfinals. And then me, pairing up with Manika Batra and getting another bronze medal,'' he added.
Fitness levels have improved over the years and one can see MS Dhoni still playing the IPL. So what prompted Sharath to retire? ''Yeah, I think I've been playing for a long time. And I've been, let's say, guiding the younger players also in the process as a player.And now I feel, stepping away as a player gives me more time to help and develop the sport. Putting in a structure and system into place. And with the help of the state government and the central government, trying to get table tennis into the world map, trying to win an Olympic medal. So that is what all of us sitting here are looking at. And I feel I can do that more, when I step away as a player. And that is the reason why I'm stepping away,'' revealed Sharath.