‘No regrets,’ says Achanta Sharath Kamal after bowing out of his ‘best Olympics’
The Indian table tennis star went down fighting against defending champion Ma Long in the third round at Tokyo 2020
Achanta Sharath Kamal bowed out of the men's singles on Tuesday as he lost 7-11, 11-8, 11-13, 4-11, 4-11 to defending champion Ma Long. But the Indian table tennis star, competing in his fourth Olympics, knew there were a lot more positives to take back from Tokyo 2020 than the nagging disappointment that he couldn’t go further.
Known as the ‘Dictator’ for his utter dominance, Long has won three Word Championships titles and one Olympic gold (Rio 2016) in singles. Just taking a game off the former World No. 1 is a feat in itself, and the Indian undoubtedly had his opponent rattled by winning the second game and pushing him to the brink in the third. In fact, Long was asked to take a timeout by his coach when he held a game point at 12-11 in the third game.
“His legs were shaking,” Sharath told Olympics.com after the match. “I could see him shake. And I was happy I could put him in that position.”
“As far as this Olympics go, there are a lot of positives for me,” said the 38-year-old, who had reached the Round of 32 for the first time. “We were maybe a little unfortunate with the draw, running into the team that won the bronze in the first round of mixed doubles. And facing Long in the third round today.
“Against Long, I got myself into a good position. Even the fourth and fifth games were a lot closer than the score suggested. I think after winning the third game he just became a little more relaxed and started going for his shots.”
Sharath, who had made his debut at Athens 2004, is in the form of his life. And he is not done yet.
“I never said this is going to be my last Olympics, it’s mainly the media that has been saying that,” he said. “I don’t think I have to retire just because I am 38 years of age. This is the most physically fit I have been and it has undoubtedly been my best Olympics. When I look back, there nothing I could have done more or done differently. I have no regrets.”
The look and the feel of this Olympics was vastly different than his three previous trips, due to the restrictions due to Covid-19. But Sharath was happy to be a part of this unique experience.
“I am very happy that the Games did happen,” said the Indian. “Before the Games, there was some concern over how we would cope with all the restrictions. But they did not hinder or take away our focus in any way. It was easier than we expected.”
His best Olympics performance so far has only motivated Sharath, the face of Indian table tennis for almost two decades now, to reach for greater heights. He peaked at a career high ranking of 30 in 2019 and is currently the highest ranked Indian at 32.