Despite adversity, hope to fulfil Olympic medal dream, says Sharath Kamal

Indian paddler Sharath Kamal has won a medal in every possible event, be it on the professional table tennis (WTT) tour, the Commonwealth Games or the Asian Games. But an Olympic medal has been missing from his huge medal cabinet. 

On the verge of competing in his fifth Olympics in Paris, the 41-year-old said winning a medal at the quadrennial event has been more than a hope, a dream for him. “I have won gold medals in the Commonwealth Games and bronze in Asian Games (doubles with Manika Batra in 2018). An Olympic medal is what is missing from my closet. I hope I can fulfil my dream and that of the TT fraternity. It is going to be tough.”

Sharath said India has been doing well since 2016 and having qualified for the team events and singles, the team has received a huge boost. “There is a doubles rubber which India is strong at and we have been doing well as a team, too. In the team events, we are keeping our fingers crossed. We hope that it happens (winning a medal) this time,” said the flagbearer of the Indian contingent at the Paris Olympics, on a virtual call, organised by the Table Tennis Federation of India, Indian Olympic Association and Sports Authority of India on Friday.

The appointment of India’s foreign coach Massimo Costantini, though delayed, has come at the right time, observed the 10-time National champion. “With Max (Costantini), we will focus on team events including doubles. We will be trying out different combinations for the crucial doubles tie. Max (Costantini) is the right person for the job,” he said. 

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In the past, India has qualified in men’s and women’s singles. This time, qualifying for the team events in March, Sharath said, has given him and the team enough time to prepare mentally and physically. “This is the first time I’ve had so much time to prepare for an Olympics. Earlier, I had a month or slightly more to prepare. We had six weeks to prepare for Paris. I took down notes. I had documents on my preparations for training in the previous Olympics,” said the multiple CWG medallist.

Sharath is looking forward to the team’s training camp with Costantini from June 7 to 17 in Bengaluru followed by another one in Germany in July.