Achanta Sharath Kamal Announces Retirement from Olympics After Paris Loss
Indian table tennis player Achanta Sharath Kamal announced his retirement from the Olympics after his team lost to China in the Paris Olympics. Kamal, along with teammates Harmeet Desai and Manav Thakkar, was defeated 0-3 in the round of 16.
In a video posted on Olympic Khel’s Instagram page, Kamal said, “My last Olympic Games match here. I am really happy with the way I could finish my Olympic campaign here. Achanta Kamal and table tennis, there is a clear legacy that is behind so I really like how it is.”
He clarified that while he will not play in future Olympics, he will still be active in the table tennis circuit for his nation and in other tournaments. “Still have some more years of table tennis in me. I am not going to quit directly here. So, the transition is going to be tough, but I think we are all well prepared for that,” he added.
Kamal competed in the Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008 Olympics but faced second-round exits in singles competition. In Rio 2016 Olympics, he made a first-round exit as well. His best performance came in the Tokyo Olympics, where he reached the third round and lost to the Chinese legend and eventual gold medallist Ma Long.
The 42-year-old has won a lot of medals at Commonwealth Games and Asian Games. He has 13 CWG medals, including seven gold, with two singles top prizes. At the Asian Games, the veteran has won two bronze medals in the men’s team and mixed doubles competition.
Doubts Revealed
Achanta Sharath Kamal -: Achanta Sharath Kamal is a famous Indian table tennis player. He has represented India in many international competitions.
Retirement -: Retirement means stopping doing something you have been doing for a long time. In this case, Kamal is stopping his participation in the Olympics.
Olympics -: The Olympics is a big sports event where athletes from all over the world compete in different sports. It happens every four years.
Paris -: Paris is the capital city of France. The Paris Olympics refers to the Olympic Games held in Paris.
Harmeet Desai -: Harmeet Desai is another Indian table tennis player who played with Kamal in the Paris Olympics.
Manav Thakkar -: Manav Thakkar is also an Indian table tennis player who was part of the team with Kamal and Desai.
Round of 16 -: The round of 16 is a stage in a tournament where 16 teams or players compete to move to the next round.
Commonwealth Games -: The Commonwealth Games is a sports event where athletes from countries that were once part of the British Empire compete.
Asian Games -: The Asian Games is a sports event where athletes from Asian countries compete in various sports.