Veteran paddler Achanta Sharath Kamal set to retire

Indian veteran paddler Achanta Sharath Kamal revealed on Wednesday that he plans to retire from the professional circuit after the upcoming WTT Star Contender 2025 in Chennai.

Sharath will end his illustrious 26-year career with one final competition on his home turf, at Chennai's first-ever WTT Star Contender event, scheduled to start on March 25th.

In doing so, he will be drawing the curtains on what has been a remarkable journey.

The 42-year-old is currently the top-ranked Indian male paddler in the singles and will compete for a professional title for one last time in front of the home crowd.

"I played my first international tournament in Chennai, and now I will play my last international tournament also in Chennai, so this (WTT Star Contender Chennai) will be by last international tournament," Sharath said, at the press conference.

He did subsequently provide more than just a hint of his continued association with the sport after hanging up his boots.

"We will be looking forward to setting up a high-performance center here in Chennai and hopefully looking to win Olympic medals in the coming years," he added.

A composed Sharath recalled some of the highlights of his career.

"I have Commonwealth medals, I have the Asian medals, but yes, I lack an Olympic medal in my cupboard and will hope to fulfill that dream with the younger talents of Tamil Nadu."

Sharath's career has truly been a remarkable one, with multiple records and medals to his name. He is a 13-time Commonwealth Games medalist, has won multiple medals at the Asian Championships, and is also a five-time Olympian.

He made his Olympics debut in 2004 and was the only Indian male paddler to qualify for that edition. His appearance at the 2024 Paris Olympics was another historic feat, given that he was a part of India's first-ever men's team to qualify for the Olympics.

Sharath has always been the most consistent performer for India and served as a benchmark for the young talents of the nation, inspiring them with his regular success on the international level.

The legendary paddler took to social media to share that he began playing the sport at the age of two, not knowing at the time that it would turn out to be his longest-standing companion.

Sharath's major achievements

• Five-Time Olympian
• Two-time Individual Commonwealth Games champion
• Two-time Asian Games Medalist
• First Indian to reach the men's singles quarterfinals of a Grand Smash tournament.
• Ten-time Senior National Champion