BENGALURU: Sharath Kamal continues to be the country’s trailblazer in table tennis. While he plays an individual sport, the Chennai-based stalwart is a team man, taking along a generation of paddlers.
The Padma Shri awardee, the brain behind the ongoing camp for eight young paddlers here, said: “We have been training in Chennai, but the ceiling of the facility, which plays a role in determining the conditions, is not high and the facilities are not so great. At Lakshyan Academy of Sports, I’m a mentor and we wanted to give our players quality practice at a good facility. Here they have access to physiotherapy, recovery and strength and conditioning at one place. Also, Chris (Pfeiffer) and I have a long association and he willingly came on board.”
Sharath, 40, stressed on the need for holistic approach towards training. “My best performances have come when I have had a holistic approach especially at the Tokyo Olympics and the Birmingham Commonwealth Games. Not just your skill, but when physical and mental fitness as well as recovery come together, you are able to peak easily. It is best that you get world-class facilities at a young age,” he said.
Asked whether he preferred an Indian or foreign coach, Sharath said,” Who we need is a coach, Indian or foreign. It is just that most of the Indian coaches have their own academies and it is difficult to find someone who doesn’t have one.”
