Indian table tennis star Sharath Kamal has already set his sights on the Paris Olympics 2024, with the upcoming Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT) season, which will be played in Pune from July 13-30, serving as the starting point for his preparation.
However, the paddler also stressed that he is not taking lightly the upcoming Hangzhou Asian Games, to be held from September 23 to October 8, and is well-equipped to do well in the continental competition.
How Sharath Kamal is preparing for the 2024 Paris Olympics?
“Asian Games is the immediate target but the main goal for Team India is the Paris Olympics. When UTT starts, the countdown would be down to 12 months, for me personally that’s when the preparation starts. As for the Asian Games, we are already into the final leg, the preparation is done with. We just have to get into the best physical and mental shape. As on the preparation front, UTT will help us start the preparation for the Olympic Games," he told PTI on the sidelines of the player draft for UTT season 4.
In the previous edition of the Asian Games, held in Jakarta back in 2018, Kamal finished with two bronze medals in the men's team event and in the mixed doubles category pairing up with Manika Batra. He is eager to repeat his heroics and believes that a sound performance in Hangzhou will give him the confidence to do well in the next Olympics.
“The Asian Games competition is as tough as Olympics. When we won the medals last time, it gave the confidence that if we can do it here, we can certainly win an Olympic medal. I think the preparations are on course and we hope to add to those two bronze medals,” he said.
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Sharath Kamal ready to make the most of UTT season 4
Kamal was drafted into the Chennai Lions squad along with Sutirtha Mukherjee, Prapti Sen, Pavas Jain, Yangzi Liu and Benedikt Duda for the upcoming edition of the UTT. He triumphed in season 3 and belives that they have to put their best foot forward if they have to defend their title.
"(The) season three was very good. Not just because my team Chennai Lions won it but also because the format was very interesting. The kind of following table tennis had that particular season showed we were growing as a sport. And the Indian team’s performances kept on improving in that period. I am looking forward to this season creating the same buzz, not just with the players but also with the spectators, people who engage with the sport and with the youngsters who pick table tennis either as a hobby or a competitive activity. For all of them, UTT season 4 will be fantastic.
"The teams are well-balanced. It is going to be decided on which team has the better team spirit and perform on that particular day. Each team has strong players, so the competition will be tough. The format also makes the matches tight. We will have to rise up to the occasion if we are to defend the title,” he said.
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