ACHANTA Sharath Kamal

Grip
Shakehand (ITTF, 02 Aug 2016)

Style of play
Attack (ITTF, 02 Aug 2016)

General
OTHER ROLES
In November 2022 he was elected as a member of the Athletes' Commission of the International Table Tennis Federation [ITTF]. He was also elected vice chairman of the Athletes' Commission of the Indian Olympic Association [IOA] in 2022. (timesofindia, 17 Nov 2022)

LONGEVITY
In 2022 he spoke about how the commitment and passion for table tennis he displayed in his younger years has helped contribute to his success and longevity in the sport. "Perhaps that [his love for the sport] is the secret of my longevity. I was a late bloomer. I was never touring [for India] or winning so much at a young age, so the drive to excel came only after the age of 20-21. I kept believing in myself at a stage when most of them would have given up and opted for another profession. I thought that my peak would be at the London Olympics [in 2012]. I would have been around 30. But everything went downhill [from] 2011 onwards. I couldn't adapt to the fast-changing techniques and suffered as a result. I couldn't even qualify for London. My ranking slipped to as low as 94 and everything was bleak. Here I am now, playing my best table tennis at the age of 40." (sportstar, 20 Aug 2022)

EYES ON PARIS
He has set his sights on winning a medal at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, but says he is unsure how much longer he will continue competing in the sport as his focus shifts towards his family. "My wife says, 'I haven't signed up for single parenting'. While winning a medal at Paris 2024 is my immediate target, I haven't thought about the 2026 Commonwealth Games. My wife is doing all the family duties. I should take these factors into consideration. I will take two years at a time." (sportstar, 20 Aug 2022)

PLAYING IN GERMANY
Since 2010 he has represented German clubs Borussia Dusseldorf, Werder Bremen, and TSV Grafelfing. "Until I came to Germany, I was winning because of my natural talent and hard work. I had limited knowledge of the game which also reflected in my playing style. I got to understand the what, why and how of table tennis. Additionally, despite ageing, I am able to keep up with the competition, and adapt to the new generation's game and the players. I was able to learn the intricacies of the sport from legends and their secrets to success." (sportstar, 09 Jan 2021; olympicchannel, 15 Dec 2020; ittf, 30 Apr 2017; tabletennisbug男子棍术, 08 Jul 2011)

He was part of the team that won India's first medal in table tennis at the Asian Games, when they claimed bronze in the men's team event at the 2018 Games in Indonesia. In 2018 he also won India's first mixed doubles medal at the Asian Games when he took bronze with partner Manika Batra. (SportsDeskOnline, 20 May 2021)

Along with teammates Soumyadeep Roy, Subhajit Saha, and Datta Shibaji, he won India's first Commonwealth Games gold medal in table tennis by triumphing in the men's team event at the 2006 Games in Melbourne, VIC, Australia. At the same Games, he went on to win India's first Commonwealth Games gold medal in singles. Four years later at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi, India, he and men's doubles partner Subhajit Saha claimed India's first Commonwealth Games gold medal in doubles. In 2022 in Birmingham, England, he and Sreeja Akula became the first Indian table tennis players to win gold in mixed doubles at the Commonwealth Games. (SportsDeskOnline, 31 May 2023; sportstar, 27 Feb 2023)

He became the first Indian table tennis player to win an event on the World Tour, when he was victorious at the Egypt Open in Cairo in July 2010. (SportsDeskOnline, 29 Jul 2018; ittf, 15 Mar 2020; ittf, 17 Dec 2010)