Achanta Sharath Kamal
India
India
Achanta Sharath Kamal is a tennis player who has done what no other Indian could do before him. Among his firsts are being ten times India's senior national champion and being the first Indian in history to win an ITTF Pro Tour singles title.
Most of his career has been spent outside India, playing in different European clubs. He has also managed to participate in four Olympics events, something that even Ma Long, considered the best ping-pong player in history, has yet to do. Here's everything you'd need to know about the Indian Talisman if you're a fan of the sport.
Quick Facts
Biography
Achanta Sharath Kamaal was born on July 12th, 1982, in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. At just four years old, he was introduced to table tennis by his father and uncle, both of whom were professional players and coaches. With such a base, it's no wonder he took so well to the sport.
In 2002 he won his state meet tournaments, which allowed him to play at the national championship. It was here that he got a bronze. The following year he won the contest, setting the tone for how the rest of his career would go.
2003 was also the year he was selected for participation in the World Table Tennis Championships. He would go on to earn a slot in the Olympics in 2004 and three other Olympics games since then.
Also, like most other professional table tennis players, he played at the club level when he wasn't participating in international games. He did stints in several countries, including Spain, Germany, and Sweden, even playing for Borussia Düsseldorf, one of the top clubs in Germany.
He's been awarded several honors in his country for his sports contributions. One is the Padma Shri, and the other is the Khel Ratna Award which are among the highest honors you can get as an Indian citizen.
Personal Life
Achanta's father is Srinivasa Rao, a former table tennis player who also helped coach him when he was younger. His mother's name is Annapurna, with the Indian talisman also being married. He tied the knot with Sripoorni in July 2009, with the couple raising a son and a daughter.
Social Media
Achanta has a relatively decent social media presence. He's verified on Instagram and you can follow him at sharathkamal. He's also active on Facebook and his profile is under his full name.
Career
While he was playing for a long time, his senior career took off in 2002 when he was called up for a training camp before the Commonwealth Games. In 2003 he participated in the World Table Tennis Championships with an impressive showing but ended up with no medal.
By 2004, he was good enough to represent India at the Olympics and the South Asian Games. While he came in 33rd at the Olympics, he'd come away with a men's doubles win in the South Asian Games.
In 2004 he won his first singles gold at the Commonwealth Table Tennis Championships. Two years later, he became the first Indian to get gold at the Commonwealth Games.
In 2007 he again had another India's first when he was invited to participate in the Pyongyang Invitational Tournament in North Korea. In the same year, he managed to beat Lee Jung Woo, who was ranked 19th Worldwide at the time.
Sharath Kamal would go on to participate in the 2008, 2016, and 2020 Olympics. Despite being fairly advanced in age, his best showing came at the 2020 Olympics, where he was ranked 9th in mixed doubles and 17th in the men's singles.
As for his club career, he has played for outfits such as San Sebastian in the Spanish league, Siracusa in the Italian league, Ischtennis-Bundesliga, SV Werder Bremen, TTC Schwalbe Bergneustadt, and Borussia Düsseldorf in the German league.
Playing Style
Sharath Kamal is a right-handed shakehand grip player who likes a backspin serve. He also typically relies on his backhand to return serves. This would be hard to emulate if you don't have the right backhand rubber. Fortunately, we've got a list of the best backhand rubbers in the market to help you with your selection.
As for what Achanta Sharath Kamal uses, it's the Andro Rasanter R53 rubbers which are fan favorites for their speed and spin metrics, especially when you impart topspin. This is made possible by the andro Energy Cell sponge used to make these rubbers.
That said, the Energy Cell sponge may be affected by the table tennis glue you use. Our list of the best table tennis glues can help you ensure how you attach your rubbers doesn't adversely affect your game.
Achanta will switch to a forehand with topspin whenever he sees an opening. Also, he will move closer or further away from the table, depending on how much power the opponent uses. This will also happen in your games, where you might have to move forward and back depending on the caliber of the opponent you're facing.
Investing in good shoes should make this kind of movement easier, and if you're looking for the best table tennis shoes, we've got a list of the same that you can check out.
Achanta Sharath Kamal Pairs his rubbers with the Samsonov Stratus Carbon, which according to reviews, is great for shakehand grips. As such, you may also want to consider it as a potential purchase.
Achievements
As for Sharath Kamal's achievements, here are some of them.
Single
- 2006 Commonwealth Games, Melbourne – Gold
- 2010 Commonwealth Games, Delhi – Bronze
- 2018 Commonwealth Games, Gold Coast – Bronze
- 2022 Commonwealth Games, Birmingham - Gold
Men's doubles
- 2010 Commonwealth Games, Delhi – Gold
- 2014 Commonwealth Games, Glasgow – Silver
- 2018 Commonwealth Games, Gold Coast, - Silver
- 2021 Asian Championships, Doha - Bronze
- 2022 Commonwealth Games, Birmingham – Silver
Mixed doubles
- 2018 Asian Championships, Jakarta – Bronze
- 2022 Commonwealth Games, Birmingham - Gold
Team
- 2006 Commonwealth Games, Melbourne – Gold
- 2010 Commonwealth Games, Delhi – Bronze
- 2018 Commonwealth Games, Gold Coast – Gold
- 2018 Asian Games, Jakarta – Bronze
- 2021 Asian Championships, Doha – Bronze
- 2022 Commonwealth Games, Birmingham – Gold
Achanta Sharath Kamal's Ranking
As early as 2003, Achanta Sharath Kamal was a prominent figure in the World's top 500. He then broke into the top 100 in 2007, where he was ranked 86th in March. After that, he maintained a position in the top 100 for over a decade which is an impressive feat in and of itself.
As for his highest ranking, it's 30th place which he achieved in November 2021 at an age when most other ping pong players would be retired.
Achanta Sharath Kamal Equipment
Videos
Final Thoughts
Achanta Sharath Kamal has made history in India as a ping pong player, and not many people can say that. He has also played for longer than most other ping pong players' careers, which is a testament to how good a player he is. Given his achievements, it isn't likely that there will be anyone to break his records in India anytime soon.