(PC: World Table Tennis)
Indian table tennis legend Sharath Kamal Achanta played his final match of his career, at the WTT Star Contender, in Chennai, on Saturday. It marked the end of an illustrious career that spanned over two decades. In a poetic conclusion to his journey, he bowed out in front of his home crowd, in Chennai, the city of his birth.
In the qualifying rounds, the 42-year-old comfortably defeated his younger compatriot Anirban Ghosh and Australia’s 19-year-old Nicholas Lum, the tournament’s 10th seed, both by 3-0 margins.
Kamal’s run in the men’s singles draw came to an end as he lost to his men’s doubles partner, Snehit Surabajjula, in straight sets (11-9, 11-8, 11-9). He bid farewell with an exhibition match against Egypt’s Omar Assar, followed by an emotional address to the Chennai crowd.
His remarkable career includes 174 competitive events, featuring five Olympic appearances from Athens 2004 to Paris 2024, along with 19 combined participations in ITTF World Championships and ITTF World Team Championships.
Kamal’s medal tally is equally impressive, boasting 13 Commonwealth Games medals, including seven golds, spanning from Melbourne 2006 to Birmingham 2022. He also won two bronze medals, at the Jakarta 2018 Asian Games, in the men’s team and mixed doubles categories.
Reflecting on his journey, Kamal told World Table Tennis (WTT), “Looking back at my complete career, all that I can say is I am truly grateful for having the opportunity. It’s a lot of work that has gone into it, but I got the opportunities, I made sure I was able to convert those opportunities, so I’m very grateful and proud when I look back at what a journey it has been for me.”
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