Sharath Kamal to retire from table tennis with swansong in Chennai

India's table tennis legend Sharath Kamal announces retirement after a stellar career, leaving a lasting legacy in the sport.

One of India’s most celebrated table tennis players, Sharath Kamal, has announced his retirement from the sport. His last outing will be the WTT Star Contender to be held at the Nehru Indoor Stadium in Chennai from March 25 to 30.

The 10-time National singles table tennis champion, aged 42, couldn’t have timed his retirement better.

Chennai is a city that grows on you, says Sharath Kamal

The five-time Olympian is the highest-ranked Indian in the world at 42, according to the latest World Table Tennis (WTT) ranking list, which is a good 18 places above Manav Thakkar at 60.

And with his last International tournament in nearly three weeks’ time at home with fans, family and friends watching him play one last time, Sharath—who last played in the city at the Asian juniors in 1999—must be quite a contented man.

Those who have known Sharath for long will know that the paddler has been the epitome of grace, and few would have anything negative to say about him.

Of all his achievements on the professional tour, the Asian Games and the Olympics, it’s his record at the Commonwealth Games that is unsurpassed; a whopping 13 medals from five editions.