Indian paddler Sharath Kamal is all set for 2021 World Table Tennis Championships Finals

Veteran Indian paddler Achanta Sharath Kamal has wrapped up his final training session ahead of the commencement of the 2021 World Table Tennis Championships Finals. The prestigious tournament is slated to be held from November 23 to 29 in Houston, USA.

Sharath will be seen in action at the men's singles, doubles and mixed doubles events at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston. The Indian paddler will be up against Belgium's Cedric Nuytinck in the men’s singles, first round clash.

The table tennis championships will feature 128 players in men’s and women’s singles event respectively while 64 pairs will compete in each of the doubles events.

Earlier, practice sessions were in full swing for ace Indian paddler Sathiyan Gnanasekaran ahead of the World Table Tennis Championships. Gnanasekaran recently underwent practice sessions with Olympic medalist and World No. 6 Lin Yun-ju in Dusseldorf, Germany.

The Indian contingent have managed to win two medals (bronze) at the World Table Tennis Championships till date. The medals came in the inaugural edition (1926) of the championships, both in men’s singles and men’s team event.

SRG Suppiah finished third in the men's singles, while Athar Ali Fyzee, Hassan Ali Fyzee, A.M. Peermohamed, B.G. Singh and Suppiah bagged bronze medals in the men's team event.

In a sport that goes simultaneously with China, the Indian contingent will be spearheaded by Sharath Kamal and Manika Batra.

Chinese table tennis great Ma Long is the defending champion in the men's singles event, while Liu Shiwen will step onto the court to defend the women's singles title.

Indian contingent competing at 2021 World Table Tennis Championships Finals:

As many as nine Indian paddlers will be in action at the World Table Tennis Championships.

Men’s singles - Sharath Kamal, Sathiyan Gnanasekaran, Harmeet Desai, Amalraj Anthony

Women’s singles - Manika Batra, Sutirtha Mukherjee, Madhurika Patkar, Ayhika Mukherjee

Men’s doubles – Sharath Kamal/Sathiyan Gnanasekaran, Harmeet Desai/Amaraj Anthony

Women’s doubles – Manika Batra/Archana Kamath, Madhurika Patkar/Sutirtha Mukherjee

Mixed doubles – Sathiyan Gnanasekaran/Manika Batra, Sharath Kamal/Archana Kamath