On Saturday, during the Men’s Singles event at the WTT Star Contender Chennai 2025, Achanta Sharath Kamal’s illustrious two-decade-long career ended with a round-of-16 defeat against Snehit Suravajjula. This news comes from Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India, as reported by ANI on March 29.
In his match against his Men’s Doubles partner and one of India’s rising stars in table tennis, Sharath put up a strong fight but ultimately fell short with a 0-3 defeat. The young opponent demonstrated exceptional poise and accuracy, winning each game by narrow margins, according to a statement from WTT.
Snehit’s victory marked the emergence of a new era, underscored by Manav Thakkar becoming the inaugural Indian male to advance to the quarterfinals of a WTT Star Contender event. This achievement came as Snehit defeated a legendary coach and prominent figure in the sport during a poignant ‘Torch Passing’ ceremony. The final match for Sharath, played at the Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium, drew enthusiastic applause from fans who were keenly acknowledging his unparalleled impact on Indian table tennis.
At the Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium, where enthusiastic supporters were present, Sharath participated in a dynamic exhibition game against Egypt’s Omar Assar. This event marked his farewell performance before he gave an impassioned speech to the audience. In this address, he expressed his commitment to remain involved with Table Tennis, even though he would be doing so behind the scenes.
“At some point along the way, I realized it was time for me to shift focus and consider contributing to the sport from another perspective—beyond being a player. Having served my country through tennis, I believe it’s now important to lend support in different capacities such as administration, coaching, mentoring, or simply as an experienced team member,” Sharath stated, expressing gratitude towards his family, friends, supporters, sponsors like IndianOil, SDAT, Stupa Sports Analytics, Ultimate Table Tennis, TTFI, and ITTF.
Snehit Suravajjula (IND) [WC] vs. Achanta Sharath Kamal (IND) 3-0: 11-9, 11-8, 11-9. (ANI)
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