TT Worlds: Sharath Kamal looks to turn back the clock

For someone who has crossed age 40 and spent more than half those years playing table tennis professionally, it’s odd to hear Sharath Kamal utter this sentence: “I’m slowly learning to get better at it”.

That’s coming from Sharath the athlete-administrator — the man currently wearing many hats as co-chair of the ITTF athletes’ panel and vice-chairperson of the IOA’s Athletes Commission, dashing off letters and statements amidst the ongoing wrestlers’ protests and proposing ad-hoc panels for a few federations. Over the next week, Sharath the athlete will have to fully take over as the World Table Tennis Championships Finals begin from Saturday in Durban.

More so given his issues with fitness and, in turn, form this year so far, which compelled the reigning Commonwealth Games champion to "go back to the foundation" and chart out a seven-week training block to get back into shape for the Worlds.

“I had to shut out everything else that was going on. Of course, I was still doing a little bit of the IOA stuff. But the main focus had to be on table tennis. To make sure that I did not miss sessions because of those other things and if I had other commitments, to make sure I made up for it," Sharath said.

Separating the athlete from the athlete-administrator at a time the IOA panel has been under an intense spotlight was easier said than done, however.

“There are some days when I step on to practice and there are a lot of other things running in my head. And then there are some days when I'm completely focussed for those two hours. It is important to be able to shut down those other thoughts for those two hours and give that time just for myself and my table tennis," Sharath said.

“I've understood better how to manage that. I'm slowly getting trained at it. Practice makes a man perfect, I guess,” he added with a smile.

Ranked world No. 56, Sharath will open his singles campaign against 170th-ranked Austrian David Serdaroglu at the worlds in which he will also play doubles with G Sathiyan. His CWG boom—Sharath won the singles, mixed doubles and team gold—of 2022 has been followed by a hush in 2023 thus far. He crashed in the first round of the WTT Star Contender Goa and pulled out of the singles event at the nationals in March due to back and calf spasms.

“I took those seven weeks after the nationals to completely focus and prepare for the Worlds. Get back into shape, be faster, improve my reflexes. The challenge was to get the mind and body back on track. Picking up the table tennis is then easy,” he said.

“I'm happy with how I have prepared and how I've been playing. I'm sure with the way I've prepared, if not at the worlds, I'll be in really good shape for the tournaments thereafter.”

In being selective about those tournaments at this stage of his career, the world championships, where Sharath first played in 2003, are “significant” and present a “big challenge”. The primary focus for this year, however, remains the Asian Games and peaking for it.

“More than the Worlds, the preparations for it has given me a clear picture of where I am and where I hope to be,” Sharath said. “It could well be that I might not do well at the worlds. That’s very much possible. So while the Worlds itself might not be a good reflection, the preparations and work I've put in leading up to it gives me a good idea of what lies ahead."

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