Commonwealth Games 2018 interview: Sharath Kamal on whether India can match 2010 heroics, challenges and more

Since table-tennis’ introduction at the Commonwealth Games in 2002, India have had decent success in the sport. One of the cornerstones of this success has been veteran paddler Sharath Kamal. He burst onto the Games’ scene with two golds (Men’s Singles and Team) on debut in 2006 in Australia, in the process, becoming country’s first gold winner in table tennis at the Commonwealth Games. Since then, he has won at least one medal in every edition. 12 years after that blistering debut, he is back again in Australia, with the same hunger, intensity and desire to bring back the gold in what could probably end up being his last Commonwealth Games.

Firstpost caught up with the veteran to discuss India’s preparations for the Games, challenges and much more.

How important are the Commonwealth Games for you?

The Games are very, very important for the whole table tennis fraternity because these are the one games where we can win some medals. especially some gold and other medals also. At the Olympics, right now, it is a little difficult for India to win medals. I am not writing it off completely but still…you know. But at the CWG, we are quite highly seeded and have a strong contention there. It is always good to win gold medals for the country. CWG has been my main target since the Rio games were over. I am hoping to do well there.

India have had a relatively good record in table tennis in Commonwealth Games, but we won just one medal last time, what went wrong?

More than what went wrong, a lot of things were not right. Things were not in the right process. With 2010 Games being held in Delhi, we got a lot of funding and support from the government, we had a foreign coach. So we were in training camps for nearly three years and the coach had a long duration to work with the players. Then once the Delhi Games were over, there were a lot of scandals and scams because of which the money got locked. There was no funding, because of which, the exposure reduced. We didn’t have coaches working with the team to have a continuous process where what they had built up for the 2010 Games was not continued into 2014. So we had a break of almost two years there. Then, after that slowly by the time we started, getting in there, we faltered, we got only one silver medal. In team we were No 4, we lost in the semis and bronze medal match and in singles I was also number four. So in both singles and Men’s team, we were in the semi-finals, but we didn’t win the medal. I think if we would have won the medal, it wouldn’t have been so big as what it’s being told now. But yeah, at the end of the day we had only one medal. I hope at the 2018 CWG, we get back the gold medal first because in 2006 and 2010 we got the gold medals. So I hope in 2018 also, we get a gold medal and probably I will finish on a high note.

May be your last Commonwealth Games?

Probably. I am not very sure about that because 2022 is another four years from here where I would be 40 years by then. So you never know, I should be fit, having the motivation. A lot of factors are there so my target at the moment is the 2020 Tokyo Games. 2018: get the gold, 2020 Tokyo: give my best shot and let’s see what happens.

That has made you more determined this time around?

Yes, exactly.

We were talking about what went wrong in 2014, what has changed in the last four years in Indian table tennis?

We are back on the same track as 2010. We’ve hired a foreign coach for a longer period now. We are having good exposure in high-level tournaments, training camps in foreign countries like China and Germany. We are travelling all over the world to have different kind of exposure, (play with) different kinds of players, different variety. That is making us work as a team and build the team. So we are on the right path.

When did the preparations start? How are the preparations going on so far?

The basic preparations started after the 2016 Rio Olympic Games where we signed up with the foreign coach Massimo Constantini and we’ve had a lot of training camps and tournaments under his guidance. The final stage of the preparation has been between February and March with training camps in Portugal and Pro Tours in Qatar, Poland and Germany. The intensive part has been in February and March where we are slowly moulding into the preparation. We are working on every aspect necessary. I think we are ready now.

Can India match the medals tally of 2010 Games, where they won in every event apart from women’s singles?

I think yes, I am quite sure and positive that we will do it because in the men’s section alone, we should be having at least three medals — singles, doubles and team. In these three, I am pretty sure we will have one medal (in each) at least. Probably we could have two also, in singles or doubles. The women are doing pretty well, they are strong this time. Currently, we have three top-100 ranked players. The doubles pair of Mouma Das and Manika Batra played the doubles quarter-final of World Championships. All of us have been doing pretty well. Also, Constantini is quite lucky (for us), every time we had him, we’ve had good results. So hopefully this time also we will be doing fine.

In 2010 India won one gold, one silver and three bronze, we spoke about matching that tally, but are you looking to change the colour of the medals too this time?

I would be happy. But I am happy with one gold also (smiles) because my main motto in the Games has always been to see the tri-colour flying and the national anthem being played. That’s the moment we feel, okay we have done our country proud. It’s good if it’s two or three times also but at least once, when we win the gold medal and our national anthem is being played and all of them stand up to that, that’s the moment (we all cherish).

What will be the biggest challenge this time around?

There are more number of players at the same level. Last time, Singapore was way ahead of the rest of the contingent so we could not catch up with them but now I think England, Nigeria, Singapore and us, we have all more or less the same level players. Also, in the singles, we have 12-13 players of the same level. That is going to make it more difficult, every match is going to be extra competitive and everybody is going to fight for their own share of the pie.

Who will be your biggest threats?

As I said, there is no one person. The top seed will be Aruna Quadri, second seed will be Paul Drinkhall of England whom I beat in the Indian Open quarter-finals. The third seed would probably be Gao Ning from Singapore, the fourth seed could be Sathiyan (Gnanasekaran) or me. Even the players after us have beaten me like Liam Pitchford or Sam Walker from England. There are a lot of players between 20-25. So the competition will be very high. You cannot pinpoint this is the one whom I should beat. We need to beat 3-4 players before we win some medals.

Have you been studying these opponents?

Yes, of course. We have been doing a lot of video analysis. And watching what they have been doing and what changes they have brought about in recent times.

How much of an information sharing is done within in the team?

Within the team members, it has to be very complete. ‘This is how I beat the other player or this is what I feel is difficult against the other player.’ So they tell strong points and the weaknesses and then you make a strategy according to your game. Probably Sathiyan would have played him in one different way, that might not be my way. But I will hold on to something which he has said and will try to get the opponent in that manner. So you have to come up with strategies.

You’ve been playing a lot of Pro Tours, but is there a special preparation needed for these Games?

The big tournaments have a special way to prepare because you cannot go into these tournaments like a league match or a normal Pro Tour because a league match takes a shorter duration and probably they are not as important as this one. They are important matches but then you don’t need to be 100 percent fit both mentally and physically in those. You can be 80 percent and still go into the tournament and try to win some matches, collect some world ranking points or get some exposure. But here we have a clear goal, we want to win. So when you want to win, your preparation has to be completely different.

How difficult is the mental switchover?

Once the Nationals were over, we said okay, the next two months, we are in preparation for the Commonwealth Games. So we are slowly getting into the grind, thinking about the Games, what are we going to do, what will happen, two weeks down the line, how do I want myself to be. So the mental switchover happens now.

Tell us something about the bonding in the group

That (bonding) is very, very important. That is also one of the reasons why we did extremely well in 2010. In 2014 we were kind of a little bit off because in 2010 it was my ex-teammates — Soumyadeep Roy, Subhajit Saha — with whom I played for a long period of time. Our understanding within the team is fantastic. When we are playing the bench is willing to give everything for us. But then 2014 came in, the old ones went out, I was the only one who stayed in and the young ones came in so the bonding between me and them was not as it is (now). But now, we’ve played for three-four years together. Now I know them personally, back then, they thought me as a senior so it’s was really difficult for them to connect with me. But now it’s changed, now it’s more like I am their big brother and connect with them easily.

Some of the players were playing their first Games back in 2014, so would that experience help them going into the 2018 games?

Very much. Being their first games, seeing Usain Bolt and Michael Phelps or any other top sportsperson and the village, there is the whole setup that is running at the back of your mind - ‘Oh! What is this, where am I?’ You can feel intimidated by the whole thing. Also, the first Games is not very easy for you to go ahead and perform. Now that everybody has done it, except for Sathiyan, all the others have been at the Games. But for Sathiyan I don’t think it matters so much because he is quite confident by himself normally.

You have won medals three years on the trot, how much will that experience help?

It depends on the draw. It depends on what mode I am then at that particular moment. So sometimes experience can be a negative part for me because I would know so much, so that’s why they have this saying — ignorance is bliss. Sometimes it’s just better to be ignorant and just go in and play. That we have to take it day by day but I also think experience will help me in these big games.

This group doesn’t have the gulf in class between players, so you have been constantly rotating the doubles partners….

Yes, we’ve been trying with the doubles. Also because doubles is an integral part of the team championships and it’s a tricky system where the number one player cannot play the doubles. He has to play two singles. So in case I play two singles, normally I play doubles with Sathiyan, then I cannot play with Sathiyan, he will have to play with someone else. So we are trying to have the permutations and combinations here. But again, now we are so versatile that each one of us is able to play with the other so we just need two-three days of training because all of us have had a good basic education about doubles. And then you need a couple of days to understand your partner.

So you are trying to be as unpredictable as possible to the opponents?

Yes, very much. At least in the team championship doubles.

How much has the Ultimate Table Tennis helped?

It has helped to a certain extent. But I think it’s got much more to do in the future years, let’s say 5-6 years from now where the whole table tennis scenario is going to change. In the first year, we brought in the foreign players and the Indians played against them and showed the whole world that we are not any inferior to them. We are able to win against them or match them. So I think that’s given the players the confidence first thing. The second thing is that the foreign players have understood that these players are doing well, the league is being organised at a professional level, they are also happy with how the league has been organised and hopefully if this continues for a longer period of time and for a longer duration, we will be able to have top-level players coming from our own grassroots. Basically, we would get access to knowledge, we will have better exposure, we will watch and learn how it is done at the international level and then probably the coaches and the other players will understand the basic science of how the player is improving at the world level. So I hope UTT goes on for a longer period and benefits all of us.