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| Human Interest | |
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Sport Specific Information | |
| Club / Team | Borussia Dusseldorf: Germany |
Further Personal Information | |
| Higher education | Accounting, Commerce - Loyola College: Chennai, IND |
Sport Specific Information | |
| Name of coach | Rajath Kamal Achanta [brother], IND; Ramji Srinivasan [strength and conditioning] |
| Handedness | Right |
Further Personal Information | |
| Languages | English, Hindi, Spanish |
General Interest | |
| Hobbies | Watching movies, listening to music, reading. (Facebook profile, 10 Apr 2018) |
Sport Specific Information | |
| When and where did you begin this sport? | He began playing table tennis at age four in Chennai, India, at the table tennis club where his father was a coach. He turned professional at age 16. |
General Interest | |
| Hero / Idol | Swiss tennis player Roger Federer, Indian badminton player Pullela Gopichand, Belarusian table tennis player Vladimir Samsonov. (newindianexpress.com, 16 Jul 2013; sportskeeda.com, 29 Apr 2013; indiatoday.intoday.in, 06 Aug 2009) |
| Awards and honours | He and badminton player Lakshya Sen shared the Sportsman of the Year [Racket Sports] award at the 2023 Sportstar Aces Awards in India. (sportstar.thehindu.com, 27 Feb 2023) In November 2022 he received Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award from the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports in India. The award is the highest sporting honour given by the Indian government and is presented to athletes who have excelled in their sport. (adda247.com, 30 Dec 2022; Instagram profile, 30 Nov 2022) He and boxer Nikhat Zareen were flag bearers for India at the closing ceremony of the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England. (olympics.com, 08 Aug 2022) In 2019 he received the Padma Shri Award for distinguished service to table tennis in India. (ittf.com, 28 Jan 2019) In 2004 he received the Arjuna Award for Outstanding Performance in Sports and Games in India. (sportskeeda.com, 13 Jan 2010) |
Further Personal Information | |
| Occupation | Athlete |
General Interest | |
| Other information | OTHER ROLES In November 2022 he was elected as a member of the Athletes' Commission of the International Table Tennis Federation [ITTF]. He was also elected vice chairman of the Athletes' Commission of the Indian Olympic Association [IOA] in 2022. (timesofindia.indiatimes.com, 17 Nov 2022) LONGEVITY In 2022 he spoke about how the commitment and passion for table tennis he displayed in his younger years has helped contribute to his success and longevity in the sport. "Perhaps that [his love for the sport] is the secret of my longevity. I was a late bloomer. I was never touring [for India] or winning so much at a young age, so the drive to excel came only after the age of 20-21. I kept believing in myself at a stage when most of them would have given up and opted for another profession. I thought that my peak would be at the London Olympics [in 2012]. I would have been around 30. But everything went downhill [from] 2011 onwards. I couldn't adapt to the fast-changing techniques and suffered as a result. I couldn't even qualify for London. My ranking slipped to as low as 94 and everything was bleak. Here I am now, playing my best table tennis at the age of 40." (sportstar.thehindu.com, 20 Aug 2022) EYES ON PARIS He has set his sights on winning a medal at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, but says he is unsure how much longer he will continue competing in the sport as his focus shifts towards his family. "My wife says, 'I haven't signed up for single parenting'. While winning a medal at Paris 2024 is my immediate target, I haven't thought about the 2026 Commonwealth Games. My wife is doing all the family duties. I should take these factors into consideration. I will take two years at a time." (sportstar.thehindu.com, 20 Aug 2022) PLAYING IN GERMANY Since 2010 he has represented German clubs Borussia Dusseldorf, Werder Bremen, and TSV Grafelfing. "Until I came to Germany, I was winning because of my natural talent and hard work. I had limited knowledge of the game which also reflected in my playing style. I got to understand the what, why and how of table tennis. Additionally, despite ageing, I am able to keep up with the competition, and adapt to the new generation's game and the players. I was able to learn the intricacies of the sport from legends and their secrets to success." (sportstar.thehindu.com, 09 Jan 2021; olympicchannel.com, 15 Dec 2020; ittf.com, 30 Apr 2017; tabletennisbug.com, 08 Jul 2011) |
Further Personal Information | |
| Residence | Chennai, IND |
General Interest | |
| Injuries | Back and calf injuries forced him to withdraw ahead of the 2023 Indian National Championships in Jammu. (news18.com, 24 Mar 2023) In December 2021 he underwent surgery on a bone spur on his left heel that had affected his performance during the 2021 season. (sportstar.thehindu.com, 20 Aug 2022; scroll.in, 29 Apr 2022) In April 2015 he suffered a torn hamstring and required surgery, which kept him out of competition for eight months. (sportstarlive.com, 17 Apr 2016; Facebook profile, 16 Apr 2016; tabletennista.com, 05 May 2015) |
Sport Specific Information | |
| Why this sport? | His father Srinivasa Rao and uncle Muralidhara Rao were table tennis coaches. "They would probably have started coaching me before I was born if they had the chance." |
General Interest | |
| Sporting philosophy / motto | "Aim high, and work towards your goals. At the same time you need to do what you love, otherwise be satisfied with loving what you are doing." (mhtabletennis.com, 30 Nov 2012) |
Further Personal Information | |
| Family | Wife Sripoorni, daughter Suyasha, son Tejas |
General Interest | |
| Ambitions | To compete at the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou, People's Republic of China, and to win a medal at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. (thebridge.in, 28 Jul 2021; sportstar.thehindu.com, 20 Aug 2022) |
| Milestones | He was part of the team that won India's first medal in table tennis at the Asian Games, when they claimed bronze in the men's team event at the 2018 Games in Indonesia. In 2018 he also won India's first mixed doubles medal at the Asian Games when he took bronze with partner Manika Batra. (SportsDeskOnline, 20 May 2021) Along with teammates Soumyadeep Roy, Subhajit Saha, and Datta Shibaji, he won India's first Commonwealth Games gold medal in table tennis by triumphing in the men's team event at the 2006 Games in Melbourne, VIC, Australia. At the same Games, he went on to win India's first Commonwealth Games gold medal in singles. Four years later at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi, India, he and men's doubles partner Subhajit Saha claimed India's first Commonwealth Games gold medal in doubles. In 2022 in Birmingham, England, he and Sreeja Akula became the first Indian table tennis players to win gold in mixed doubles at the Commonwealth Games. (SportsDeskOnline, 31 May 2023; sportstar.thehindu.com, 27 Feb 2023) He became the first Indian table tennis player to win an event on the World Tour, when he was victorious at the Egypt Open in Cairo in July 2010. (SportsDeskOnline, 29 Jul 2018; ittf.com, 15 Mar 2020; ittf.com, 17 Dec 2010) |
Sport Specific Information | |
| Training Regime | He trains with fellow Indian player Sathiyan Gnanasekaran in Chennai, India. "Both Sathiyan and I have our base in Chennai so we can also pool in our resources to get good training." |
General Interest | |
| Famous relatives | His younger brother Rajath Kamal Achanta has represented India in table tennis, including at the 2007 Indian Open in New Delhi. He has also served as Sharath's personal coach and as a sports analyst for the Indian national table tennis team. (SportsDeskOnline, 29 Mar 2023; sportstar.thehindu.com, 20 Aug 2022; thehindu.com, 07 Oct 2009) |
| Memorable sporting achievement | Winning the singles, mixed doubles, and team titles at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England. (sportstar.thehindu.com, 20 Aug 2022) |