5, 5, 12 and 13 – these were the ages of Manav Thakkar, Manush Jain, Harmeet Desai and Sathiyan Gnanasekaran respectively, during the 2006 Commonwealth Games. In a couple of months, the quartet will form four of the five-member Indian men’s table tennis contingent at the Asian Games in Hangzhou.
The fifth member happens to be a gold medallist at the 2006 CWG, where, then only 23 years of age, he defeated Australia’s William Henzell, battling both nerves and the Melbourne crowd.
17 years, and 13 CWG medals later, Achanta Sharath Kamal – India’s unremitting table tennis great – still has jitters before every game he plays, be it a regular league match at the ongoing Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT) season 4.
‘But you have been there, done it, and experienced it all, haven’t you?’ The Quint asked Sharath following his training session in Pune's Balewadi Stadium, where UTT is being played.
That’s what I tell myself to calm down – that I have been there and done it. Jitters are normal, but how I deal with it has changed. Before the 2006 CWG final, anxiety woke me up at 4am in the morning. I just couldn’t sleep and went for a walk instead. I still get up at night ahead of big matches, with the only difference being, now, I know how to put myself back to sleep.
Why Sharath Is Still Sharath-ing
Relentless, as he always was, Sharath Kamal is preparing for his biggest challenge – to win an Olympics medal, despite that he will be 42 when the event commences in Paris next year.
But, as he explains, the journey was supposed to conclude way back in 2016.
“Initially, I thought the Rio Olympics will be my last competition, and then I’ll move back to India with my family. But then I thought, with a CWG coming up in 2018, why not have a two-year plan?” says Sharath.
Having initially thought about retiring after the 2016 Olympics, Sharath Kamal won three medals at the 2018 Commonwealth Games.
(Photo: PTI)
That CWG went well, I won three medals. So I thought, why not make a plan for the Tokyo Olympics as well? Since then, I have been making such short-term plans, keeping the next big tournament in mind. Now it is the Asian Games, and then, it will be the Paris Olympics.
The Plan to Never Stop, Even After Stopping
Given that he still is ranked second highest among Indian male TT players, despite being 41, Sharath could come up with another such plan post the Paris Olympics.
But when the idea was brought forward during the conversation, he explained why the probability is negligible. “I am 41 now. I have a family to take care of, I need to give them time. It is very likely that I will retire after the Paris Olympics,” he said, with a customary smile.
Yet, in the very next moment, he corroborates that Paris might be his last Olympics campaign as a player, but he will still be associated with the sport during the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics as well.
I don’t know exactly what I will be doing during the LA Olympics, but I can tell you now, I will be involved in table tennis. The game has given me so much, and I am obligated to give back. Come the LA Olympics, you will definitely see me being a pillar of support and courage for the team, be it as an administrator or a coach.
Learning the New Art of Letting Go
From what has been portrayed so far, it seems that ‘conquer’ is the most commonly used word in Sharath Kamal’s vocabulary. Yet, he is also mastering the nascent art of letting go – perhaps, a year before he lets go of it all.
It has not been a year since the pair of Sharath and Sreeja Akula won India a gold medal at the mixed doubles in 2022 CWG, beating the Malaysian pair of Javen Choong and Karen Lyne, but the veteran has decided that walk away from that particular category.
Once again, he is happy to furnish an explanation, and give us an insight into his rationale.
“I took this decision to give more opportunities to youngsters. I played mixed doubles at the Birmingham CWG only because there was a vacant slot, and Sreeja’s coach Somnath Ghosh, who is also a dear friend of mine, requested me to,” says Sharath.
Then, he adds why he decided to pull the plug.
After we won the CWG gold medal with very little practice, Somnath again requested me to pair with Sreeja at Paris Olympics. But, I said no because I don’t want to fight for a place with my own teammates. Manika and Sathiyan are the established pair, and they are doing great. As for the second pair, it is better to open up a pathway for the youngsters, rather than blocking a slot. The goal should be to have that pair fighting for a medal in the 2026 CWG. I am surely not playing till 2026, so what’s the point in my hindering someone else’s progress?
Not Only Laying the Road, but Showing How to Charter It
Whilst ensuring a smooth transition to the next crop of TT stars, Sharath is also continuously offering his support to the younger players.
However, on being asked about whether he is providing them with motivational lessons as well, he says “It is the actually other way round – they are motivating me. Even now, Sathiyan regularly tells me ‘Bhaiya, our rankings are going down. Please go to more tours, we need to play more tournaments.’”
But whilst motivation is not particularly a trait he is actively trying to inculcate in the current batch, Sharath admits he is helping the younger players in something more important – decision-making.
Sharath Kamal is helping the younger players in decision making.
(Photo: Twitter/UltTableTennis)
Since I have gone through the pathway, I know where I will find a bridge that will help me reach my destination faster, and where I will find potholes that will slow me down. My job is to tell the youngsters about those bridges and potholes, but at the same time, they will not understand it unless they experience it themselves.
Serving Table Tennis, One Manner at a Time
A look at the watch reminded that the conversation spanned nearly half an hour. Other reporters and fans were already waiting for their turn to speak to the Padma Shri awardee, and despite having an incredibly busy schedule, Sharath was not looking to turn anyone down.
‘Do you never get tired of all this?’ we asked, amid preparations to wrap up the interview. “Quite the opposite,” he says, with the smile making a return.
Then comes the final explanation.
“I think of it as a responsibility. Maybe, I am a bit too approachable. Maybe, the media in fact is exploiting me. But for the sport to be popular, we need to keep talking about it. You will not have anything to write on TT if we don’t speak, and then ultimately, it will take the sport backwards. So, this is also a way of serving table tennis.”
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)