Sharath qualifies for Tokyo Olympics

In a do-or-die South Asia Group 1 clash, World No.32 Sharath hardly broke a sweat while registering a comfortable 11-4, 11-1, 11-5, 11-4 win over Rameez, placed 690 in the international rankings. Having thrashed his lower-ranked opponent at the Ali Bin Hamad Al Attiya Arena, Sharath sealed an Olympic berth for a fourth time in his illustrious career.

“I am very happy. I am in the best possible shape. This is my highest-ever ranking while qualifying for the Games. I have never been at this level in the past. I should have got the job done a year ago, but the coronavirus pandemic spoiled the sporting calendar,” 38-year-old Sharath told DT Next after progressing as the highest-ranked player in the reserves list.

“It was tough to train during the lockdown period and I was low on confidence. When I looked at players from other countries, I got to know that they stayed away from the game only for a couple of weeks even during the pandemic. But, I started my preparations in October last year and participated in a few competitions prior to this,” said Sharath, the men’s singles top seed at the Asian qualifying tournament.

Earlier in the day, Sharath went down to compatriot Sathiyan Gnanasekaran despite making a comeback in the middle of the contest. The senior pro lost by a scoreline of 9-11, 13-15, 11-5, 11-7, 12-10, 9-11, 8-11 to World No.37 Sathiyan in a fiercely-contested battle. “I can’t wait for the Olympic Games to start,” added Sharath, who couldn’t make the cut via the World Qualifiers, which also took place in Doha recently.

At the ongoing Asian qualifying tournament, the men’s singles players are divided into four groups – South Asia, Southeast Asia, Central Asia and East Asia. The group winners and the best-ranked group runner-up will seal spots for the postponed Games.