India’s leading male table tennis player, Sharath Kamal, has announced plans to intensify his doubles training in preparation for the Paris Olympics. Recognizing the importance of doubles in the team events, Sharath Kamal emphasized that it will be a key focus in the coming months.
The team events at the Olympics, where Indian men and women paddlers have qualified for the first time, include one doubles and four singles matches. The Indian men’s team, comprising Sharath Kamal, Harmeet Desai, and Manav Thakkar, currently lacks a definitive doubles pairing. Sharath Kamal’s recent doubles partner, G Sathiyan, is named as a reserve for Paris, while Harmeet Desai has largely paired with Sathiyan for team events, such as the 2022 Commonwealth Games. Manav Thakkar has formed a successful partnership with Manush Shah, who hasn’t been picked for Paris.
Sharath Kamal, who has not played much doubles in the past year, is refocusing on the discipline for his fifth Olympic appearance. He previously secured a men’s doubles silver with Sathiyan and a mixed doubles gold with Sreeja Akula at the 2022 CWG. However, at the Asian Games last year, Sharath Kamal and Sathiyan exited in the men’s doubles Round of 16 and have since barely played together.
“Doubles is the most important rubber in the team event because you start with it. A head start there gives you a good chance to turn the match in your favor,” Sharath Kamal stated during a virtual interaction organized by SAI, IOA, and TTFI on Friday.
Sharath Kamal is considering multiple doubles combinations, including himself with Harmeet Desai, Harmeet Desai with Manav Thakkar, and himself with Manav Thakkar. The upcoming training camp in Bengaluru, starting next week, will be crucial for finalizing these pairings. National coach Massimo Costantini, returning to the role, will play a vital part in shaping the doubles strategy.
“His role will be focused on the team and doubles. That’s where we will need his support,” Sharath Kamal noted.
Following the Bengaluru camp, another training session is planned for July in Germany. This camp will simulate Olympic conditions with the same table, balls, and similar weather, close to the French border. Sharath Kamal hopes to finalize the doubles pairings during this camp.
“We hope we’ll be able to figure out the doubles part by then,” he added.
