The undisputed king of Indian table tennis, Achanta Sharath Kamal, is on a high. The 28-year-old achieved a record-breaking feat by winning the senior national title for the fifth time in a row in Kolkata on Sunday. Sharath’s excellent achievement eclipsed the previous record of four national titles on the trot held by former stalwarts Chetan Baboor and Gautam Diwan.
A bout of flu did not hold back the Commonwealth gold medalist, he fought a brave battle to script a remarkable 11-9, 7-11, 7-11, 10-12, 11-8, 11-9, 11-6 comeback victory over Soumyadeep Roy. The lanky paddler nailed the nationals for a whopping sixth time. Presently, ranked 40th in the world and plying his trade in the German league, Sharath shared his outstanding winning experience and future plans among others.
On the record: Initially, the record was not on my mind at all. Though winning at home gives me immense pleasure, international trophies and feats is what I am aiming to achieve. It was nice when Kamlesh Mehta, who holds the record for the most number of national titles (8), came up and congratulated me after the victory.
On the marathon final: I had contracted flu back in Germany and it got worse during the final. I was slow to get off the blocks. Soumyadeep played exceptionally well and made me stretch for each point. At times, I felt like playing against a wall. He was that good in the first couple of games. But I think after he went 3-1 up, complacency set in and by that time I was back at my best. The first two points that I clinched in the decider were the key. I never looked back from there.
On his desire to break Kamlesh’s record: That is something I am not losing sleep over. I have been playing well at the national for the past half a dozen years. I am confident of a good show in the future as well. I am positive to add a few more to the tally.
On future plans: My immediate goal is to earn a direct qualification for the London Olympics. According to the rules, the top-48 or 50 players in the world get a direct entry. I am aiming to maintain or improve my current ranking till June when the entries are given. If I get a direct entry, it will give another Indian to try and make it to the event through qualifiers. I will be looking at some vital points while playing in Qatar next month and a few Pro-Tours in March and April.
On the Olympics: The best I have done so far at the Olympics is a third round finish. Realistically, I am looking to reach the pre-quarters or quarters in London. And once I am able to reach the last eight, you never know. From that point, it will be just a couple of victories away from a medal.
On his present club in Germany: It has been an enriching experience. I get the opportunity to play the world’s top-10 players every week. Even though, my club (Grasel Sing) has not had it great this season, I, personally, have had a good run. I rank among the top-10 players in the league.
On his compatriot K. Shamini winning the women’s title: It is an incredible feat that two players from the same club have won the nationals not once but twice. Shamini, who had a bad patch after the Commonwealth Games, showed character to make a phenomenal comeback. She is a fine talent and has it in her to achieve a lot more.