Indian Table Tennis Icon Sharath Kamal Bids Farewell After WTT Star Contender Exit

Chennai, March 29 (NationPress) Indian Table Tennis icon Achanta Sharath Kamal officially retired after his match against Snehit Suravajjula in the Men's Singles Round of 16 at the WTT Star Contender Chennai 2025. The 3-0 loss to his fellow countryman marked Sharath's final competitive appearance. A five-time Olympian and India's most revered paddler, Sharath had previously announced his retirement intentions prior to the tournament.

At the age of 42, Sharath, a historic 10-time national champion, remains India’s top-ranked men's singles player, currently positioned at 92nd in the latest WTT rankings. Throughout his remarkable two-decade career, Sharath accumulated 13 Commonwealth Games medals (including seven gold medals), two bronze medals at the Asian Games, five Olympic appearances, and two ITTF Pro Tour titles.

Sharath claimed his first national title in 2003 and earned his first international medal at the 2004 Commonwealth Table Tennis Championships. His career reached a pinnacle when he qualified for the 2004 Athens Olympics. In that same year, he received the Arjuna Award and secured five consecutive national titles. A historic singles gold at the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, alongside another gold in the men's team event, capped off a remarkable year.

In 2010, he became the first Indian to win an ITTF Pro Tour title, claiming victory at the Egypt Open. Sharath then added two more Commonwealth Games golds in 2010, in both men’s team and men’s doubles. After a challenging period with no titles in 2014 Commonwealth Games and Asian Games, and failing to qualify for the 2012 London Olympics, he bounced back with a strong showing in 2018.

At the 2018 Commonwealth Games, he clinched medals in every event, winning gold, silver, and two bronzes, and added two bronze medals at the 2018 Asian Games. In 2019, he reached a career-high world ranking of No. 30 and secured his ninth national title. The following year, at 37, he achieved his second international title at the Oman Open.

During the Tokyo 2020 Summer Games, he participated in his fourth Olympics, but lost 4-1 to Chinese legend Ma Long in the round of 32 after receiving a bye in the first round. Despite his age, Sharath continued to perform admirably, earning bronze in both the men’s team and men’s doubles events at the 2021 Asian Table Tennis Championships.

In April 2022, he secured his 10th national title with a thrilling 4-3 victory over Sathiyan Gnanasekaran. At the 2022 Commonwealth Games, he won the men’s singles gold medal, and partnered with Sreeja Akula to clinch the mixed-team gold. He also earned a men's doubles silver and was part of the men's team that won gold. In the same year, he was honored with India’s highest sporting accolade, the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award.

Sharath also represented India at the Asian Games 2022 in Hangzhou, playing a pivotal role in securing a team quota for Paris 2024, marking a first for the nation at the Olympics. He was the flag bearer for India during the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympics, alongside renowned shuttler PV Sindhu, making him the first Indian table tennis player to achieve this distinction. Unfortunately, his journey in men's singles was cut short after an early-round loss.