Sharath Kamal Bids Farewell to Table Tennis Career at WTT Star Contender

Sharath Kamal's Emotional Farewell

Renowned table tennis player Sharath Kamal concluded his illustrious career on a poignant note after losing to fellow Indian Snehit Suravajjula in the pre-quarterfinals of the WTT Star Contender tournament on Saturday.

Despite his efforts, wild card Suravajjula triumphed in straight sets, with scores of 11-9, 11-8, and 11-9.

Following this match, Sharath participated in an exhibition game against Egypt's Omar Assar, showcasing his remarkable skills one last time for the audience.

In his farewell speech, Sharath expressed, "At some point, I realized it was time to step back and consider how I could contribute to the sport from a different perspective."

The 42-year-old athlete indicated his desire to take on an administrative role in the future.

"I believe I have made significant contributions as a player for my country, and now I wish to serve as an administrator, coach, mentor, or even as a senior player," he stated.

Historic Achievement for Manav Thakkar

Earlier in the tournament, 24-year-old Manav Thakkar made history by becoming the first Indian male player to reach the semifinals of a WTT Star Contender event.

He achieved this milestone by winning two thrilling five-game matches against Germany's Andre Bertelsmeier and South Korea's Olympic medallist Lim Jong-hoon.

Manav secured victory over Bertelsmeier with scores of 10-12, 12-10, 15-13, 6-11, and 11-5, followed by a win against Jong-hoon with scores of 5-11, 12-10, 3-11, 11-6, and 11-1.

However, Snehit's impressive journey ended with a loss to France's Thibault Poret, who won the match 11-4, 6-11, 11-7, 11-6.

In a thrilling conclusion to the day, South Korea's Lim Jong-hoon and An Jae-hyun clinched the men's doubles title by defeating the top seeds Tomokazu Harimoto and Sora Matsushima with scores of 11-4, 11-13, 11-2, and 11-3.

In the women's doubles final, Japan's Miwa Harimoto and Miyuu Kihara triumphed over Shin Yu-bin and Ryu Hanna with a scoreline of 9-11, 11-9, 13-11, 12-14, and 11-5.