Born on July 12, 1982, in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, Sharath Kamal is one of India’s most celebrated table tennis players. He started playing the sport at the age of four, inspired by his father Srinivasa Rao and uncle Muralidhar Rao, both state-level players and coaches. Sharath made a decisive choice to pursue table tennis professionally when he was 15, which marked the beginning of his successful career.
Sharath has an impressive record, being the first Indian to win the Senior National Championship ten times. He also boasts 14 Commonwealth Games medals, including eight golds. His journey includes memorable victories, like his 2006 Commonwealth Games singles gold and the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games team gold.
A true veteran of the sport, Sharath attributes his longevity to discipline, hard work, and continuous mental conditioning, learning from champions like P. Gopichand and Roger Federer. Despite facing challenges and defeats early in his career, he has grown into a resilient player, earning global respect for his achievements and humility【95†source】【96†source】.