Table Tennis

Achanta Sharath Kamal feels that he is at the peak of his powers heading into his fourth Olympics

 

Achanta Sharath Kamal is gearing up for his fourth appearance at the Olympics. Despite nearing 40, Sharath Kamal feels that he is at the peak of his powers heading into the Tokyo Olympics.

While he is looking to make a mark at the Summer Games, he is also considering his future. The 39-year-old paddler will feature in the Singles and Mixed table tennis events at the Olympics. The paddler’s earlier decision was to draw a line at the 2022 Asian and Commonwealth Games citing family reasons. However now he can’t rule out the 2024 Paris Olympics and feels that just like German paddler Timo Boll he can also continue in his 40s.

“According to my wife, this is my last Olympics (laughs), but let’s see how the body holds up till the CWG and Asian Games next year. I feel I am at the peak of my game physically as well as mentally,” Sharath Kamal told the Press Trust of India, 2 days before his departure to Tokyo.

Sharath Kamal has made his Olympics debut in Greece back in 2004. He has not missed a single Summer Games barring the 2012 London Olympics. He feels that every time he has been to the Summer Games he has returned with something precious to improve his game.

“I remember Athens 2004, I didn’t know how to prepare at all. 2008 Beijing I slowly understood what was required at that level and in 2016 I prepared really well but didn’t get the results. Unfortunately, I was also coming from an injury (hip).

“This time I feel I have gotten better as a player and my rankings reflect that. In 2016, my game was at a level where I could not play the round of 16 or the quarterfinals in the Olympics. But now on a good day, I can do that.”

Sharath Kamal’s best shot at an Olympic medal this time is at the Mixed Doubles where he will partner Manika Batra. The Indian pairing will look to win three games at least to secure a medal. But it will be a very difficult task for the Indians.

“We should get four-five days in Japan together and hopefully we would be fully ready. We have been studying our opponents all this while instead of going straight into the match and figuring it out.

“It is going to be very difficult (even in mixed doubles). Even the first round will be tough since we will be playing a top-8 team,” Sharath Kamal concluded.

 

 

About the Author


Written by DafaNews

DafaNews brings you the most highlighted news in the world of Sports. It serves you up-to-date matches, scores, live streams, fantasy games and quizzes. Our news covers India's prestigious leagues and events – Premier League, Pro Kabbadi League, Cricket World Cup and many more. Follow DafaNews on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter,Telegram and Youtube for more updates.

Related Post
Share
Published by
DafaNews

Recent Posts

“Never expected a very easy run” – Gautam Gambhir reflects on his tenure as coach after IND vs NZ 2024 Test series defeat

India’s head coach Gautam Gambhir has admitted that he never expected a very easy run… Read More

October 31, 2024

Probably has a lot to do with playing on flat wickets in T20 – Gautam Gambhir on decline of good defensive technique in Test cricket

India’s head coach Gautam Gambhir feels T20 cricket has led to the downfall of a… Read More

October 31, 2024

India needs Mumbai Test win before Australia tour – Gautam Gambhir

Indian head coach Gautam Gambhir feels the Rohit Sharma-led team desperately needs to win the… Read More

October 31, 2024

I cannot say just the batters have let us down – Gautam Gambhir feels everyone should take responsibility for series loss against New Zealand

India’s head coach Gautam Gambhir refused to blame the batters after the team’s 2-0 series… Read More

October 31, 2024

It was insane – Bronny James after scoring his first NBA bucket

Los Angeles Lakers rookie Bronny James was on cloud nine after he managed to score… Read More

October 31, 2024

I’m happy with my team’s performance: Mohun Bagan SG head coach Jose Molina after win against Hyderabad FC

Mohun Bagan Super Giant head coach Jose Molina was delighted with the team’s performance after… Read More

October 31, 2024