Focusing on 2020 Olympics: Sharath

“The focus is now on the 2020 Olympics. We have the potential to clinch a medal in doubles. A lot will depend on the draw,” said Sharath at a felicitation event for Lions, where he recalled the memorable moments that defined his team’s success journey. Asked to point out the turning point in the victorious campaign, Sharath highlighted the side’s come-from-behind win against Goa Challengers in the lastfour stage.

Talking about Chennai’s title-winning UTT campaign, he stated, “Winning it is a great feeling. Our team went through a lot of ups and downs. In the first two seasons, we didn’t even qualify for the play-offs. It was fantastic playing for the home franchise. Overall, it was a great team effort. The change in format also found the right traction.”

He revealed he would be playing in the Asian Championship in Indonesia next month. The veteran will then head to China for a preparatory camp. He added India’s immediate focus is on the Team Championship in Portugal in January 2020, a qualifying event for the Olympics. “There will be nine places to qualify and we are currently ranked eight. We need to improve our ranking,” remarked Sharath.

The 37-year-old stalwart feels table tennis is heading in the right direction in India. A day after PV Sindhu clinched gold in the World Badminton Championships, Sharath said a similar effort from the TT contingent next year will go a long way towards popularising the sport in the country.

On the sidelines of the meet, Lions co-owners Aishwarya R Danush and Sameer Rajan launched Super TT in the presence of Sharath. Super TT is academy for children below 10 years and it will get underway in Nungambakkam in the next three months. The children joining the academy will be trained and guided by Rajath Kamal and his team.