“It was a bit hard to believe” - Sharath Kamal on being picked as India’s flagbearer for Paris Olympics 2024
Ace Indian table tennis player Sharath Kamal found it tough to believe when he was announced as India’s flagbearer for the upcoming Paris Olympics 2024 ahead of Neeraj Chopra.
In a virtual call organized by the Table Tennis Federation of India, Indian Olympic Association, and Sports Authority of India, Sharath feels the recognition by the Indian Olympic Association is a confirmation of his hard work over the years.
“When it was announced first, it was a bit hard to believe because there are people like Neeraj Chopra who have won medals at the Olympics or who are expected to win. Beyond all of them, they thought about me,” Sharath stated.
Notably, Sharath Kamal faced criticism from the Tamil Nadu Athletics Association after he was announced as the flagbearer of the Indian contingent, labeling him a ‘nondescript sportsman’.
“An Olympic medal remains absent from my collection” - Sharath Kamal
Furthermore, Sharath Kamal also emphasized his dream of clinching an elusive Olympic medal at the forthcoming Summer Games in Paris. Remarkably, the table tennis star has won multiple accolades in his two-decade career, including CWG and Asian Games medals.
“I’ve secured gold medals in the Commonwealth Games and a bronze in the Asian Games. However, an Olympic medal remains absent from my collection,” he added.
According to the 10-time national table tennis champion, the appointment of foreign coach Massimo Costantini has come at a perfect time for the Indian team, which can help the side concentrate more on team events and doubles.
“With Max Costantini, we will concentrate on team events, including doubles. We will experiment with different combinations for the crucial doubles tie. Max Costantini is the right person for the job,” Sharath went on to add.
Additionally, Sharath feels he has a lot of time to prepare himself physically and mentally for the upcoming mega-event in Paris. Notably, the Indian table tennis teams qualified for the Paris Olympics 2024 in March.
“This is the first time I’ve had so much time to prepare for an Olympics. Previously, I had only a month or slightly more to prepare. For Paris, we had six weeks. I took down notes and had documents on my preparations for training in the previous Olympics,” the veteran disclosed.