“Time to give my bandana and racket some rest.”
Indeed, it is. At 42, and innumerable milestones later, Indian table tennis legend Achanta Sharath Kamal can finally put his feet – and his bandana that had become synonymous with him – up. With an illustrious career spanning more than two decades, there is little that the veteran paddler has not achieved – barring an Olympic medal, perhaps.
Watch: India’s most celebrated paddler Achanta Sharath Kamal has announced his retirement from table tennis with the upcoming WTT (World Table Tennis) Star Contender in Chennai set to be his last outing. pic.twitter.com/HTlYkCRRd1
— IANS (@ians_india) March 5, 2025
Sharath won seven gold medals in the Commonwealth Games and two bronze medals at the Asian Games. The Paris Olympics last year was his fifth and final Games, and he was fittingly India's joint flag-bearer at the opening ceremony.
WTT Star Contender Chennai 2025 to be Sharath Kamal’s last tournament
Kamal took to Instagram to post a heartfelt post, announcing his decision. He added that the WTT (World Table Tennis) Star Contender Chennai 2025, to be held from March 25 to 30, will be his last tournament as a professional athlete.
He said life was coming to a full circle for him, as he was born in Chennai and also played his first international tournament in the city.
For someone who picked up the TT racket at the age of two, the absence of an Olympic medal in his trophy cabinet will hurt, right? But the world number 42, true to his self, has found a way to realise his dream. "I hope I can live that dream through the younger talent coming," said Kamal, who is still the highest ranked Indian in the International Table Tennis Federation standings.
More than the medals, the hallmark of his legacy is how he held his own against TT powerhouses like China, Japan and South Korea, and inspired youngsters to take up the sport. His ability to adapt himself with the changing needs of the game, like adding the backhand banana flick to make his backhand more lethal, in addition to a formidable forehand, is a testimony to his passion for the sport.
His resilience was evident from the way he came back from a hip and hamstring injury he suffered during the 2015 World Championships that threatened to derail his career. But, then came the 2018 Asian Games bronze for India, and the historic mixed doubles bronze in Jakarta with Manika Batra.
Kamal is the first Indian to be elected into the International Table Tennis Federation athletes' commission, and is the vice chairperson of the Indian Olympic Association's athletes’ commission.
