Indian table tennis star Sharath Kamal garnered buzz earlier this month after the Olympian announced his international retirement.

However, the young players competing in the Dream Sports Championship U-15 table tennis tournament in Chennai were privileged to meet their hero and also attend a masterclass led by him where the 7-time Commonwealth Gold medalist shared his life’s journey.

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“I was able to explain my struggles as a school kid because that’s something that the kids, coaches and the parents can relate with. I had a fantastic session where I was asked a variety of questions. With kids from different

countries present here, we are facing different challenges. I was able to address a lot of them because I’ve played across the globe and have come to understand that each country has its own system and structure,” the 34-year-old said on the sidelines of the tournament’s final at the Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium.

Sharath also praised the tournament organisers for conceptualising a tournament of this scale and explained how it will help in developing the bench strength and improving the scouting process.

“Scouting has become much easier with tournaments like these. We get to observe the kids, get to know them better, and consistently guide them throughout the year. This is the first tournament of its kind that I’ve witnessed, and the concept is incredible. I just hope we can continue to build on this moving forward,” said the Indian table tennis legend.

The 34-year-old will be making his final professional appearance at the WTT Star Contender in Chennai before hanging up his racquet. However, he expressed his desire to be 15 again and be able to rebuild his career by getting a boost from tournaments like the Dream Sports Championship U-15 table tennis tournament.

“I just wish I were a 15-year-old now, and I could play this tournament and go ahead from here. But yes, the kid in me is still there, looking forward to how I can help other kids. I can clearly see a lot of puzzle pieces being placed around here. So all we need to do is collate and try to join them,” he added.

Chandigarh’s 15-year-old Sahil Rawat picked a win over Jammu & Kashmir’s Ritvik Gupta in a seven-set thriller to claim the tournament title in the Boys category while Mumbai’s Divyanshi Bhowmick picked a dominating 11-5, 11-6, 11-8, 11-7 win over her West Bengal opponent Shreya Dhar to mark victory in the Girls’ category.