7 months ago
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A. Sharath Kamal, the array tennis stalwart, admitted that India finishing the 28th Asian Table Tennis Team Championship was a bitter pill to swallow but was assured that the Gen Next volition transportation guardant his legacy.
“Yes, they could person achieved a spot more, but this was an invaluable acquisition for our men’s team. Competing nether specified precocious expectations is ne'er easy, yet they showed large tone and potential,” Sharath, who was the Brand Ambassador of the tourney that returned to India aft 16 years, told The Hindu. “Overall, Indian array tennis is moving successful the close direction, and I genuinely judge this young radical volition transportation the athletics to greater heights successful the years to come.”
Sharath was an integral subordinate of India’s men’s squad that entered the tourney having won a bronze medal successful each of the past 3 continental championships. Even the women’s squad led by Manika Batra had pulled disconnected a bronze medal astatine the 2024 variation successful Astana, Kazakhstan.
The men’s squad – with lone skipper Manav Thakkar having antecedently represented India successful a elder squad title – finished sixth aft losing the quarterfinal to eventual metallic medallist Hong Kong, the women’s squad mislaid the quarterfinal against Singapore and mislaid some the playoffs to decorativeness eighth.
“For the women too, Sreeja’s lack was surely felt, but the squad fought hard and gained invaluable vulnerability that volition assistance them turn stronger,” said Sharath, who retired from the athletics successful March aft an illustrious vocation spanning implicit 2 decades.
Sreeja, the highest-ranked Indian paddler, had to propulsion retired aft hurting her enarthrosis successful China successful the lead-up to the tournament. While the men’s retained their Champions Division place, the women’s outfit volition present person to vie successful the qualifying part during the adjacent edition.
