'I am playing my best table tennis at 40': Sharath Kamal decodes India's medal chances at CWG 2022

Commonwealth Games (CWG) is that guy with the hair band playing table tennis." The 19-year-old teenager who said this during a conversation with the author couldn't remember the name of the player, but could almost portray the picture. "That tall guy playing TT for India almost forever," the youngster added, still scratching his head, trying to recall the name, before failing again and being finally told - it's Achanta Sharath Kamal. After eight medals (4 gold, 1 silver, 3 bronze) and 16 years since his first CWG appearance, Sharath remains the ultimate constant in India's CWG contingents, and it's going to stay that way for the next one -- Birmingham 2022, which will be Sharath's fifth CWG appearance.

His first was in 2006 in Melbourne, in which he won two golds (men's singles and men's team). You can't therefore fault the teenager, even if Sharath finds his words amusing and an innocent backhanded compliment pointing at his age. Sharath's 40 now, but he says "I am playing my best table tennis currently" to swat away doubters.

It's difficult to find fault with that either. Sharath's fourth Olympic appearance was at 39 years old, and he progressed to the third round -- the best by an Indian at the Games. Just shy of 40, Sharath won his 10th national title.

At 38, the star paddler ended his 10-year wait for an international title at the 2020 Qatar Open. If he says he's playing his best table tennis, the statement is backed by record-breaking performances in the last three years -- not to forget the historic double bronze at the 2018 Asian Games (men's team and mixed doubles). But to beat India's eight-medal run in the TT hall at the Gold Coast CWG in 2018 will take some doing, admits Sharath, who opened up on India's