Sharath Kamal Sets Sights On Administrative Role, Outlines Future Plans

Sharath Kamal suffered a shocking opening round exit in the men's singles at the Paris Games, losing to Deni Kozul of Slovenia 2-4. In the team event Sharath, alongside Harmeet Desai and Manav Thakkar, went down 0-3 against China in the pre-quarterfinals.

"Still haven't decided clearly what will be my roadmap ahead. But, I'll sit down and have a talk with the federation and decide with my family as well about what exactly has to be done ahead," Kamal told PTI on the sidelines of the Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT) launch here on Wednesday.

"But, I'll be staying around with the game and probably taking up positions in the federation or the SAI and trying to help the sport," he added.

Talking about his Olympics outing, Sharath said he gave it his all in the showpiece, and there are no "regrets."

"The only difference was the mindset since I knew it was going to be my last Olympics. I put in everything that I had in Paris," said Kamal.

"Preparation-wise, I did everything possible, and there are no regrets. Overall, really happy with the way I played."

The UTT gets underway here on Thursday and Sharath credited the event for helping upcoming Indian players showcase their talent.

"These leagues give us the right platform, especially the youngsters, to stand up against the best competition in the world, train with and against them and try to beat them," Sharath, who will be representing Chennai Lions, said.

"Playing at home does not allow you to get intimidated, and that attitude helps you grow at the international level. So, after every season, we have identified great talents. We hope it (UTT) is the next big thing."

The 42-year-old advised aspiring players to pursue any sport as a hobby first before taking it up competitively. 

"My advice to them would be to play sports first by picking up any sport. Let it not be so competitive, but at least, get in there and play it as a hobby, and sooner or later, you will figure out if you are good at it or not," he signed off.

We Don't Have Much Time: Sathiyan On Asian Games Preparations

The next big event in the paddlers' calendar is the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan.

Ace table tennis player Sathiyan Gnanasekaran said preparations for the event have to be started at the earliest.

"Definitely. We don't have much time. When it comes to the professional level, we can't rest too long," he told PTI.

"I think we have had our fair amount of rest and preparations. Once the UTT gets over, we will sit down with the chief coach, Massimo Costantini, and plan for the next two years, and do our best in the Asian Games."

However, Sathiyan wants to focus on UTT for now, followed by the China Grand Smash and the Asian Championships.

"There are a few tournaments to look forward to -- the China Grand Smash and the Asian Championships. I really hope to take the confidence and experience from here (UTT), which could help me at the international level," he added.