From tracks to table: Sharath Kamal’s incredible story
Table tennis legend Sharath Kamal reflects on his journey from working as a railway ticket collector in Chennai to becoming an international sporting icon. He is now focused on mentoring the next generation through a new high-performance training center.
Why it matters
The story highlights the importance of grassroots sports culture and the transition of retired athletes into developmental roles.
When table tennis champion Sharath Kamal watched MS Dhoni: The Untold Story (2016), he was almost in tears. Much like Dhoni, the now-popular paddler was once a railway TTE at the Mambalam station in Madras. “There is a scene in the film that has Sushant Singh Rajput (who played Dhoni) sitting in a bench, watching trains go by and wondering if he would remain a ticket collector all his life. I have sat in stations in Madras exactly like that, before I saw success in table tennis,” recalled Sharath.
One of India’s most celebrated table tennis players, Sharath went down memory lane at ‘The Sporting Side’, part of the talks hosted by Madras Musings celebrating Madras Day.
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