Sharath Kamal bullish of Rio qualification

While the Indian women beat Luxemburg 3-1, the men overcame a stiff challenge from Brazil to emerge victorious 3-2. The win now allows India to compete in the Champion’s division, two years from now, a first in the history of Indian table tennis. Basking in the glory, ace Indian paddler A. Sharath Kamal said it is a dream come true. 

Sharath, the most experienced player in the lot, took the role of mentoring the other players. “This Indian team is one of the best. We have the right mix of experience and youth. 

While I can play a power-packed game, Amalraj can play a fast-paced game while Ghosh can play with tremendous control. The understanding between all of us has been tremendous and it is this mix that has been vital in our win,” the Chennai player said. 

The win, however, did not come without a hiccup. India lost to Nigeria in the third round match but pulled up their socks in time and Sharath said the defeat was a wakeup call in time. “I did not lose to that player in 10 years and was gutted when I lost to him at a crucial juncture. The whole team came together and we paid more attention to detail which helped us get back to winning ways,” the top-ranked Indian added. Soumyajit Ghosh said Sharath is one the best players the world has seen. 

“It has been a fantastic last few days for Indian table tennis. Sharath set the tone with two wins over higher-ranked players in two matches, that too in the space of a few hours. The hard work of trying to win a World Championship has paid off,” Ghosh said. 

The Chennai paddler now hopes to make the cut for the Olympics. “I am in good form. The recent victories should push me into the top-60 and with the Rio qualification tournament one month away, I should in all probability make it,” Sharath said.  

The 33-year-old admitted he is not completely fit, though he has recovered from the thigh injury sustained last year. “It was a horrifying time. There was a time when the doctors had lost hope saying that the recovery wasn’t on the level of expectations and they told me to quit playing completely. 

The delayed recovery in August and September last year added to the pressure. However, with regular physio sessions, I am back to shape in time,” Sharath said adding that he has changed his game to playing a better back-hand and control to compensate for the lag in physical fitness.