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File picture of Indian table tennis players Sharath Kamal
| Photo Credit: K. Murali Kumar
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One of India’s most celebrated table tennis players, Sharath Kamal, has announced his retirement from the sport. His last outing will be the WTT Star Contender to be held at the Nehru Indoor Stadium in Chennai from March 25 to 30.
The 10-time National singles table tennis champion, aged 42, couldn’t have timed his retirement better.
Chennai is a city that grows on you, says Sharath Kamal
The five-time Olympian is the highest-ranked Indian in the world at 42, according to the latest World Table Tennis (WTT) ranking list, which is a good 18 places above Manav Thakkar at 60.
And with his last International tournament in nearly three weeks’ time at home with fans, family and friends watching him play one last time, Sharath—who last played in the city at the Asian juniors in 1999—must be quite a contented man.
Those who have known Sharath for long will know that the paddler has been the epitome of grace, and few would have anything negative to say about him.
Commonwealth Games record
Of all his achievements on the professional tour, the Asian Games and the Olympics, it’s his record at the Commonwealth Games that is unsurpassed; a whopping 13 medals from five editions.
From winning the men’s singles and men’s team gold at the 2006 Games in Melbourne on his debut, to winning four medals (gold in men’s singles, men’s team and mixed doubles and silver in men’s team events) in the 2022 Birmingham Games, Sharath, also a double medallist at the Asian Games, has time and again proved that age is just a mere number.
Setbacks in a long career are par for the course, and the champion paddler has handled them with complete transparency and sheer grace. More than that, Sharath, whose highest world ranking was 30, has handled criticisms in a manner that would be a lesson for any high-profile sportsperson.
The hip injury that he suffered in the 2015 World championships in Suzhou, China was one of his worst. There were times when his parents and family thought as to why he should continue with the sport. There were occasions when even some of his co-players whispered that he was dragging his career. But Sharath braved everything and emerged not just stronger, but a fitter and a better player who mastered the art of peaking at the right time.
His biggest off-field challenge came when the Table Tennis Federation of India was suspended by the Delhi High Court in 2022, and the Committee of Administrators took charge. In the nine-odd months that COA administered, Sharath had to do a tough balancing act. He carried that out to the best of his ability, however, he was criticised for ‘running with the hare and hunting with the hounds’.
Paris Olympics
In the run-up to the Paris Olympics, Sharath’s form was at its lowest, and his rankings plummeted. The Singapore Smash tournament came as a blessing as he upset a couple of higher-ranked paddlers to reach the quarterfinals.
Qualifying for the Paris Olympics as a team (men and women) for the first time must count as one of Sharath’s biggest achievements. Of course, not being able to win a medal would have been a tad disappointing. The veteran’s younger teammates might do it next time, and make no doubt, Sharath will be the first to celebrate with them.
Now, as co-chair of the International Table Tennis Federation’s Athletes Commission, Sharath is having his hands full, travelling around the globe. He will also be keen that his proposed TT Academy of International standards in joint collaboration with Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu at the Tamil Nadu Physical Education and Sports University in Melakottaiyur (Kancheepuram District), bear fruition soon.
A true champion and a magnificent ambassador for the sport, Sharath’s relentless pursuit to serve the sport continues.
Published – March 05, 2025 01:33 pm IST
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Sharath Kamal to retire from table tennis with swansong in Chennai
