Keyboard learning plans on hold, paddler Sharath Kamal heads back to the drawing board

India’s table tennis ace shifts focus to restarting his preparation for the rescheduled Tokyo Olympics.
A Sharath Kamal (File Photo)
A Sharath Kamal (File Photo)

NEW DELHI: If everything had gone according to plan, A Sharath Kamal would have taken a six-month sabbatical post the completion of the Tokyo Olympics. He had planned to utilise that time to do two things in particular, apart from spending some much-needed time with his family. He wanted to learn to play an instrument, preferably the keyboard, and then contemplate his future as a table tennis player.

But as the paddler himself says, the universe works in mysterious ways and what would otherwise have been one of the busiest and most mentally draining months of the calendar has suddenly been converted into an off-season period due to the coronavirus pandemic.

“To tell you the truth, such a long period where my entire family is free has not been the case for a long time. Maybe at the start of my career, we had such extensive off-seasons. But in this day and age, the calendar hardly gives players time to just sit and talk with family without the pressure of having to decide what's next. I see a lot of negativity around during these testing times. I understand it is a very difficult time for all, but we must not forget what is most dear to us — our family. Getting this time with them is truly a blessing,” Sharath says.

And why does he want to learn to play the keyboard? “My daughter is learning the same and I want to make music with her. In the pursuit of excellence, athletes sometimes do not get to enjoy the smaller things in life. So, that was the plan initially. But now these plans have to be put on the back-burner.”

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The news of the Olympics getting postponed has hit a few athletes harder than most. Sharath is one of them. He had started preparing from November, slowly building up a head of steam which saw him clinch the Oman Open on March 15. In his own words, the Commonwealth Games gold medallist was in the best shape of his career. Starting the process again will not be easy, considering he is 37.

“I know how my body responds now and it takes me two months to prepare for a major competition physically. Then comes the sharpness on the table with regards to feet movement. After those two aspects, I need to focus on my playing style which means fine-tuning both my forehand, backhand as well as working on service. Depending on when the worldwide situation comes under control, I need to plan my schedule accordingly. A lot depends on the International Table Tennis Federation and how they fix the schedule. A lot of variables are involved and there is no point getting too ahead of myself at this stage,” Sharath adds.

By the sound of it, it is obvious that it will be an arduous task for the nine-time national champion, with a lot depending on what the world body decides with regards to ranking points and Olympic qualifying rules. Is there any silver lining? “If I manage to make the cut for Tokyo next year, only six months or so will be left for the next edition of the Commonwealth Games. I can play there as I will be in shape. When happens after that, my wife will decide,” he laughs.

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The 2018 Asian Games was one the biggest highs in Sharath’s career —something he had dreamed without being sure if it would happen in his lifetime. That gave the Chennai athlete the motivation to give it another shot at the grandest stage. However, all of it was almost snatched away after India's disappointing show at the World Team Qualification tournament at the start of the year where they failed to make the cut despite being one of the favourites.

The World No 38 had to seek the help of a mental trainer to get it out of his system. “I was not only disappointed, I was hurt inside. We were favourites, something none of us were used to. Maybe the pressure got to us and it happens. I have seen so many lows but this particular one hit really hard. My trainer told me to give it my all in the remaining six months so that I don’t go out having regrets. That got me pumped up and it showed in the way I was playing.”

Now that the entire country is under lockdown and the world is reeling from the effects of the novel coronavirus, athletes are finding it hard to deal with the period of inaction. While Sharath has seen it all in his career, these are unprecedented times even for him. How is he coping?

“Many players have called me and expressed their fears and anxiousness. That is a normal reaction but as of now, safety is paramount. After that, I always tell them to lead a discipline life and have a routine and adhere to it. That has always helped me in my professional life. If you remain sincere and do the right things, results will follow sooner or later.”

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