Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], March 11 (ANI): India's legendary table tennis star Achanta Sharath Kamal shed light on the moment he felt WTT Star Contender in Chennai would be his last tournament as a professional player.

The veteran's journey has been filled with various distinguished accolades and decorated with 13 Commonwealth Games medals, including seven gold and bronze medals at the Asian Games and Asian Championships.

Ahead of the tournament, which is set to take place from March 25, Sharath announced his decision to bring the curtain down on his glorious career at the beginning of this month.

The 42-year-old, who earned his national call-up on the eve of the 2002 Commonwealth Games, reflected on his journey and told ANI, 'I started playing the game at a very young age. Played the game for almost 38 years, so I think I have contributed to the best of my ability as a player, and now the time has come for me to contribute to Indian table tennis or Indian sports as an administrator, a mentor, a coach.'

After returning empty-handed from the 2024 Summer Games, Sharath weighed in on his future and decided that the WTT Star Contender would be his last tournament as a player. After evaluating his options he decide to play his last tournament at the same place he began his career.

'So I was thinking after the Paris Olympic Games what the future holds for me, and that's when I decided that the WTT Star Contender in Chennai would be my last tournament. I started my international journey in 1999, playing Junior Asian for India in Chennai. So I am really excited and looking forward,' he added.

Sharath is a two-time singles champion at the Commonwealth Games. The seasoned paddler is a two-time Asian Games medallist, securing bronze in the men's team and mixed doubles events at Jakarta 2018.

The 42-year-old, who was a flag bearer for the Indian contingent at the Paris 2024 Olympics, also clinched four bronze medals at the Asian Championships during his illustrious career.

Sharath, who won his first national title in 2003, became India's first table tennis player to win an ITTF Pro Tour title. He bagged the Egypt Open 2010 by defeating Hong Kong China's Li Ching in the final.

No Indian table tennis player has graced the Olympics more times than Sharath (5), culminating in the honour of being India's male flag-bearer at Paris 2024.

His second ITTF Pro Tour title came at the Oman Open 2020, where he ousted top seed Marcos Freitas of Portugal in the final.

Sharath is the son of legendary coach Srinivas Rao. His first major international win came in 2004, after he won the men's singles event at the Commonwealth Table Tennis Championships in Malaysia.

He is also the first Indian to win a singles gold medal at the Commonwealth Games. He stood at the top of the podium in the men's division at Melbourne 2006. He went on to reclaim the crown again at Birmingham in 2022. (ANI)