Sharath Kamal, an Indian table tennis legend, was anticipated to announce his retirement intentions following his sixth Olympic appearance, but the 42-year-old committed to another season on the professional tour on Wednesday. On Wednesday, Sharath was selected as captain of the Indian men’s squad for the Asian Championships in Astana next month. Speaking to PTI, India’s flag-bearer at the Paris Olympics said that he will also compete in the China Smash later this month before traveling to Kazakhstan for the Asian Championships, which begin on October 7. The highest-ranked Indian, at 37, also plans to compete in the 2025 World Championships in Doha.
“For the next nine months to a year, I intend to be an active participant. At the same time, I will investigate possibilities in the IOC and ITTF. At home with TTFI, I would strive to help develop a framework, bridge the gap between SAI and TTFI, and attract more corporate sponsorships to the game,” stated the veteran.
Sharath is the first Indian to be chosen to the International Table Tennis Federation’s (ITTF) athletes commission. He is also a member of the Indian Olympic Association’s athletes’ body, and he hopes to one day serve on the International Olympic Committee’s athletes commission.
“I plan to be an active participant for the next nine months to a year. At the same time, I plan to look into possibilities in the IOC and ITTF. “At home with TTFI, I would try to help create a structure, bridge the gap between SAI and TTFI, and bring more corporate sponsorships into the game,” the veteran added.
Sharath is the first Indian to be chosen to the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) athletes commission. He is also a member of the Indian Olympic Association’s athletes’ body, and he hopes to one day serve on the International Olympic Committee’s athlete commission.