Who is Achanta Sharath Kamal? 5 things you didn't know about India's table tennis star

Achanta Sharath Kamal is one of the biggest names in Indian table tennis. The 38-year-old has represented the Indian contingent 3 times previously and will head to the Tokyo Olympics in hopes of helping the country get its first table tennis medal. Here are a few things you probably didn't know about the paddler.

Very happy to have qualified for my 4th Olympic Games, in men’s singles. Focused now on the mixed doubles qualification which is still underway here in Doha.#TableTennis #TokyoOlympics pic.twitter.com/xJNhhTzX3q

— Sharath Kamal OLY (@sharathkamal1) March 18, 2021

WATCH: Sharath Kamal takes his Tokyo Olympics 2020 training to the lawn (sportskeeda.com)

# 1 Achanta Sharath Kamal's liking for the sport at an early age

Achanta Sharath Kamal began playing the sport at the tender age of 4, and since then he has not looked back and continued pursuing his dream of becoming India's best paddler.

Kamal had to make up a decision whether to continue the sport or to pursue his education in science, and he chose Table tennis and kept improving and at the age of 22, he represented the country at the 2004 Athens Olympics.

In Ted X IIT Indore, Kamal said, " I personally decided, I want to play the sport. So my father was very happy, so at least there was one on my side. My mother, yes, of course, even though she wanted me to go on the other side i.e. pursue engineering, but once I decided I wanted to be a professional in table tennis, she supported me like every other parent would do," the paddler said in his 2019 Ted X Indore talk.

# 2 Achanta Sharath Kamal is a Padma Shri and a Arjuna Award recipient

The ace paddler became India's best table tennis player in 2006, when he won 2 golds for India at the Commonwealth Games held in Melbourne.

His brilliance through the years has been rewarded by the government previously as he won the Arjuna award in 2004 for being ranked number 1 in the country and his appearance in the Athens Olympics. He was also honored by Padma Shri in 2019, which is India's fourth highest civilian honor.

Kamal and his mixed doubles partner Manika Batra have also been nominated for the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award by the TTFI.

Asian Qualifiers: G Sathiyan, Sharath Kamal, Sutirtha Mukherjee qualify for Tokyo Olympics (sportskeeda.com)

# 3 Achanta Sharath Kamal playing career in Europe

Achanta Sharath Kamal was one of the first table tennis players from India to feature in European leagues and he took this decision to help improve his game. He first played for the German clubub TSV Grafelfing. He later moved to SV Werder Bremen and the following season moved clubs to move to the Swedish League, before once again returning to Germany to play for Borussia Dusseldorf, where he won the Deutsche Pokal Cup in 2013.

# 4 Achanta Sharath Kamal is the highest ranked Indian paddler

Achanta Sharath Kamal became the first Indian to break into the Top 50 in 2010 and he achieved the feat while winning many international tournaments.

Coming into the Olympics, Kamal is ranked 32nd in the world and would like to cement his legacy as the greatest paddler in Indian table tennis history by signing off with a podium finish.

A good workout setting a good mood at the start of the week! 🏋🏾 #MondayMotivation@ttfitweet @Media_SAI pic.twitter.com/l7DIrj8kYg

— Sharath Kamal OLY (@sharathkamal1) July 5, 2021

# 5 Achanta Sharath Kamal's fight against adversity

Injury in sports is inevitable and Kamal is no different. The ace paddler suffered a hamstring injury during the 2015 World Championship in China, during his match against world number 27 Simon Gauzy.

After taking a 3-0 lead, Kamal suffered an injury, and despite doctors advising him to opt out of the game, he continued playing and came out victorious 4-1. After a lengthy layoff, Kamal made it back to court and battled adversity to clinch his place at the 2016 Rio Olympics.

While talking about his injury in the Ted X IIT Indore, Kamal said, " With one leg limping on the other leg, I continued to play. So the first few points I won, but I lost that set. The doctor asked me to come out, but I asked him to give me one set, and if I lost it I would come out, and then I put it all into that set, I just did everything possible to win that set, I won that set, came out and was taken on a stretcher."