National TT Champion Sharat Kamal looking to Olympics

Bangalore, Sept 3 (UNI) National Table Tennis Champion Achantha Sharat Kamal is confident of winning a gold in the London Olympics if the Beijing edition does not go well for him.

A leading member of the Indian team, that for the first time won the Commonwealth Team Championship in 2004, Sharat is keen to add an olympic medal to his kitty.

''Time is too short for the Beijing Olympics, but I will peak in London Olympics in 2012'' Sharat told UNI adding that he would put his best foot forward in the Beijing Games also.

Sharat became a paddler at the age of six when curiosity drove him to the game. He used to watch former National coach Srinivas Rao and Tamil Nadu State Coach Muralidharan coaching near his house and he became an addicted to the game. For the 24 year-old there is no regret since he has won many titles and stands tall as country's leading player.

An Indian Oil Corporation employee, Sharat said he had played for the country Under 12 category. He became professional at the age of 16.

Undeterred by his failure to qualify for the 2003 Asian Championship in Bangkok, where the Indian team finished ninth, Sharat won his first International title in the World Ranking Tournament held in 2003 at Quatar and same year he became the National Champion.

Then onwords it was a golden path for him. In 2004 Commonwealth Games Country won the gold, for the first time in the Commonwealth history, and he became the first Indian to win the singles title.

In the last Olympics he entered second round in a draw of 128.

His 2006 season began with a winning note when the team won the gold defeating strong contenders Singapore in the Melbourne Commonwealth Games. He bagged the Singles title defeating H William of Australia in the decider.

''It was really testing my nerve, since after winning the first set comfortably, William grabbed second and third set, but with a determination to bounce back I won the fourth and fifth set to win the title 3-2.'' Sharat moved to his carrier best 118 world ranking after he became semifinalist in the world ranking tournament at Brazil. In the Chile World Ranking Tournament in June he lost to world No 21 Peter Carbel of Czech Republic.

But a determined Sharat grabbed all the four gold at stake in the recently concluded SAF games playing singles, mixed double, men doubles and the Team event.

Sharat will be playing in the World Ranking tournaments scheduled to be held in Singapore and China later this month.

He will be leaving for Spain for a eight-month training. During that period he would be playing for a Club.

Replying to a question he said that Singapore, China, Nigeria and England were good teams.

UNI MSP VK PM RS1621