Sep 23, 2010-Time for Kamal to bloom again

Time for Kamal to bloom again

Mohammad Amin-ul Islam, TNN, Sep 23, 2010, 12.26am IST

If India's best player, Achanta Sharath Kamal stays true to his form and reputation, the hosts can expect a few medals in table tennis at the CWG.

The lanky player whose home is in Chennai but who spends more time in Spain now, is the defending champion in men's singles and knows what it takes to win medals in these Games, having also helped India win the team crown at the Melbourne Games four years ago. This time, he will have to pull it off in front of the home crowd. India's foreign coach, Massimo Constantini is confident that Sharath can retain the singles gold.

"According to the ITTF world team ranking, India is second among the men and fifth among the women. So, at the CWG level, we're one of the leading powers. As far as Sharath goes, he has the ability to defend his singles gold. The right balance and confidence will make the difference," said Constantini.

Not surprisingly, even for the team event, India have once again pinned their hopes largely on Sharath who became the first Indian to win an ITTF Pro Tour singles title. He accomplished the feat at the Egypt Open in July this year. He had also bagged the US Open title at Michigan in the same month.
"Yet, it's not going to be a cakewalk for India as Singapore paddlers can throw a challenge in both individual and team events. Expectations are high because India are the hosts and also the defending champions. What Sharath and others need to do is to be on the top of their game when the crunch comes," added the coach.

"Players from Singapore will be good in both the men's and women's sections because they are of Chinese origin," explained the Italian.

The Indian team has just come back from a month-long stint in China but interestingly, they have had more success with European coaches. That is because their styles match. In the presence of Constantini, Indian paddlers, including Sharath, have shown improvement.

"We expect medals. We are confident that the men's team will play for medals. Sharath is a very good hope in single. He'll be seeded no.2. In men's doubles, we have the Commonwealth champions but it will depend on how Sharath's partner Subhajit Saha recovers from a shoulder injury. We have a chance in mixed doubles too," the coach said.

Singapore's Gao Ning (currently ranked 19th in the world) will be Sharath's main rival but Constantini isn't too worried. "Sharath is in very good form so it's going to be interesting."

Achanta Sharath Kamal

Age: 28
World ranking: 39
Playing style: Right-handed
Club: San Sebastian de los Reyes, Spain
Idols: Kamlesh Mehta, Vladimir Samsonov
Awards: Arjuna Award: 2004

Achievements

2010
US Open in Michigan: Singles title, doubles runners-up
Egypt Open in Cairo: Singles title
ITTF Pro tour (CWG test event): Third

2007
Won Pyongyong Invitational

2006
Singles and team gold at Commonwealth Games, Melbourne
Has won the National championship five times (the last four consecutive)
Ranked India No. 1 for the past seven years

X-Factor

Sharath's main rival at the New Delhi Games will be Singapore's Gao Ning who is of Chinese origin. Sharath has vast experience of playing and even succeeding, on some occasions, against Chinese players which may prove to be crucial as he tries to defend his title.